A/N: I feel like I haven't updated this one in a very long time, and I miss Juliette, so here, enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: Still don't own Once Upon a Time or OutlawQueen, but I do own Juliette and the idea behind this story, so enjoy. Oh, yes, I also own my terrible mistakes, so excuse them.
Chapter Six
Regina sat on the center of her bed, a large box resting by her side, open and half emptied of its contents. She should be asleep, it was two hours past midnight and she had to get up for work in four, but she was busy skipping down memory lane. She had pictures sprawled across the mattress, all belonged to her daughter, every memory she managed to capture of her in different stages, different occasions and different ages.
Juliette's first picture was taken when she was hours old, wearing the smallest onesie she could find, but it was still too big on her, with a matching white hat that either fell off or covered half her face at any slight movement. She was so small and pink, a grumpy, wiggly little baby.
And then there was the picture of her cradling Juliette for the first time, staring down at her in complete awe. She still remembered how everything felt that day. Surreal, but so perfect and so right. As it still was. Surreal, so perfect and so darn right.
She had other items surrounding her as well. She kept the baggy onesie, the first knitted blanket she ever made for her, both folded to the side, still carrying that newborn scent on them. Juliette's first pair of socks, a small print of her tiny feet, her first drawing and countless tapes and memory cards holding the most cherished recollections of the happiest days of her life.
She should be asleep by now but instead, she cut herself a decent slice of the flan she made the other day upon her daughter's request, grabbed a bag of chips and plopped down on the couch, playing the first tape of the many more to follow.
It was Juliette's first birthday, and while everyone gathered around her highchair, cheerfully singing and clapping, the little one was far too busy scooping the frosting off her butterfly-shaped cake and smudging it over her face, barely anything actually went into her mouth, but whatever did, she didn't enjoy it given by the face she pulled. It made Regina laugh, as it did every time she watched the video.
When did time fly by so fast? She only blinked and her daughter was now a ten year old. She could've sworn it was her first birthday they celebrated not long ago, not tenth.
She sighed, replacing the tape with another. Two down, many more to go.
Now that Thanksgiving, Juliette's birthday and Christmas were out of the way, Regina could finally focus on New Year's Eve and the hustle that'll come along with it. As great as it was owning a restaurant in midtown Manhattan, there was a downside to it. Everyone would be heading to Times Square to ring in the new year with witnessing the ball drop, which meant reservations in nearby restaurants and hers would be packed, and while that wasn't the disadvantage of it all, more customers meant more money, she worried about the hectic schedule, the tiring working hours her and her staff would be swept in.
She was fully booked from six o'clock in the evening until closing time by midnight, and while only a handful came in before it, they were busier than they have been on their normal days. Regina spent the entire morning till the afternoon with her staff, prepping whatever needed to be prepared for the appetizers, main entrées and desserts.
Floors and tables were wiped down multiple times, the extra champagne bottles ordered for the special occasion were brought out, decorations were up and balloons were tied together in a corner, ready to be handed out to the little ones dining in with their parents.
Now they wait.
Regina sat in her office during her break, picking at the chopped up fruits in her bowl, pushing around the grapes and strawberries, stabbing the apples with her fork. Her mind was elsewhere, she was thinking of Robin. She hadn't called him since their date and neither did he, not that she expected him to. After her little outburst, she didn't expect seeing him again at all.
She slapped him, tampered with his food, spiced up his lasagna, salted his water, burned his dessert, all because he wanted a date to sincerely apologize for what happened many moons ago and she was freaking out. And after granting him that, she blew up on his face over something that had never happened. Again.
Regina sighed, pushing her half-empty fruit bowl aside before leaning back into her chair, arms folded atop of her chest. The best thing to do was to forget about him, put him out of her mind, pretend as if he didn't show up after all those years. Yes, she promised her daughter to give him a chance, but sometimes it's easier said than done, and perhaps Juliette might just forget about it too. She hoped.
"Mom?"
Right on cue, as always. Regina smiled, turning her head in the direction of the door where her daughter stood, grinning, and she returned the gesture with a smile of her own. "Yes, sweetheart?"
Juliette pursed her lips and linked her fingers together behind her back, slowly rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. By the looks of it, Regina could only assume she was in some sort of trouble.
"Julie, what did you do?" Regina sighed, because another thing to worry about today is exactly what she needed right now.
"Nothing!" Juliette was quick to defend herself, eyes growing wide in surprise. "You do realize I come to you when I'm not in trouble too, right?"
Regina laughed, nodding. "Yes, but what is it?"
"I know it's New Year's Eve and the place gets really crowded during it, but I was wondering if I could have some of bread rolls and a bowl of soup…"
Regina furrowed her brows in questioning. Her daughter never asked her permission to eat in the restaurant before, she normally went straight up to Ashely and gave her order, and never once did she consist of soup and bread rolls. "Juliette." Regina raised both her brows, urging her to continue, there had to be more to it, and unsurprisingly, there was.
"There is this homeless man sitting next to the restaurant and it's cold outside, so I thought maybe a bowl of soup would help keep him warm." Juliette murmured in between stutters, catching her mother completely off guard. "You can keep my allowance for the month, it'll be like I paid for it."
"Julie, honey." Regina cooed, she got off the chair and walked over to her, her heart soaring with pride and joy. She raised her well, didn't she? She was selfless, kind and caring, so mature for her age and yet, she enjoyed her childhood as any child her age should. "You're a wonderful little girl, you know that right?" She whispered, taking her daughter's hands in hers and bringing them to her lips, pressing a tender kiss to the back of one, and Juliette smiled in return.
"I learned from the best."
"You did huh?" Regina chuckled in amusement. "Tell you what. Instead of taking a bowl of soup out for him, how about we invite him in? I'm sure a nice cup of hot cocoa after that would make him feel better too, don't you think?"
Juliette nodded eagerly, her small hands tugging onto hers, dragging her out of the office with a giggle.
They ended up bringing the man in, gave him a seat on an unreserved table and served him food. Regina brought him a warm bowl of mushroom and broccoli soup, a platter of fries and two sandwiches she whipped up for him to take with. Afterward, as promised, she served him a hot cocoa with extra whipped cream, upon Juliette's request, who sat on the table beside him, sipping her own. She'd been too focused on helping the man, that she hadn't noticed how late it had gotten and how empty the restaurant was until after he was gone.
It was fifteen past eight and none of the customers she was expecting arrived.
"Eight and a half o'clock reservation have cancelled." Ruby announced. "And nine called, they're stuck in traffic, they're not sure when they're going to make it, if they're gonna make it."
Regina sighed but nodded. Just two reservations, others would show up and if not, then she'd have place for those without. It's New Year's Eve, people would be thrilled to find a place that'll accept them without an earlier notice.
Another hour had passed and another one after it, and half of the reservations were cancelled, a handful of others arrived and another lot were stuck in traffic. Regina didn't stress over it as much as she usually would, there wouldn't be any use of it, she'd gain nothing but a headache in return. She busied herself back in the kitchens, sending out orders until there were none left, not a single ticket pinned up waiting to be ripped off and tossed away.
Regina heaved out a breath and leaned against the countertop, swiping the back of her hand over her forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat gathered there. They'd be closing their doors soon, not accepting any more customers other than the ones with the reservations. It's what she did every year in order to start the new year with her daughter by her side. It wasn't something of importance to others, but it certainly was to her.
Her train of thoughts was disturbed by a faint sound of a familiar voice. At first, she couldn't place her finger on where she'd heard it before, but then it came to her.
"Robin!"
And her daughter merely confirmed it.
Regina groaned. What was he doing here? Whatever it was, he most certainly didn't come to dine in, not after everything that went down between them. She sighed, pushed herself away from the countertop and stepped out of the kitchen. His sight itself surprised her, but the flowers he had in hand caught her off guard.
"Regina." Robin rasped.
"I don't want them." She responded bluntly, gesturing over at the flowers. White roses. They were beautiful but she couldn't accept them, if anything, she should be the one handing him flowers and apologizing for her behavior.
"Oh, those?" Robin let out a nervous chuckle, "I didn't bring them for you. They're for Juliette." He lied, but handed them to the youngster who happily gathered the flowers in her arms and gave them a quick sniff.
"Of course they are." Regina played along, although the sight of her daughter excitedly hopping off the chair and bolting into the kitchen to find something to put the flowers in brought a genuine smile to her face.
"May I…may I talk to you for a second?" He asked, glancing to the side over at her friend, Mal, who stared at them quietly then added, "Privately."
Regina nodded reluctantly then led him into her office, closing the door behind them. Though the barrier it provided wouldn't be much of a problem should Juliette or Mal, or even both of them decide to eavesdrop together. She knew they would, she raised one on her own and spend the majority of her life with the other.
"I came tonight to apologize for—"
"You have nothing to apologize for, Robin." She interrupted. "If anything, I should be the one to. You tried explaining to me that nothing happened that night but I refused to listen."
"What changed your mind?"
Regina swallowed thickly, folding her arms over her chest, the heat of embarrassment rising to her cheeks.
"Regina?"
"I…I remembered a bit of that night and…none of it included us having sex." She explained, avoiding his gaze. It was difficult though, more so when he neared her, only stopping when he was right in front of her. It was awkward, standing there, unable to look at him while they both remained quiet, but then she felt the tip of his finger tuck under her chin, lifting it up and forcing her to look at him, greeting her with that dashing smile of his.
"It's okay," he assured, "I can only imagine what might've gone through your head, I mean, you woke up naked in a stranger's bed."
"You're not exactly a stranger." She argued.
"Well, perhaps not entirely but things change after a decade, Regina."
She nodded. He was right. She'd known him well while they were in kindergarten and up to the second grade, but children grow and things change, and she never truly got the chance to get to know him during their senior year. She only ever saw him briefly, and most of the time she spent mentally killing him in the most horrific ways one could think of.
"It's New Year's Eve — almost the new year." Robin stated, looking away from his watch. In less than two hours, the ball would drop, champagne bottles would be popped, confetti would fly everywhere, possible proposals would happen down Times Square, and strangers and lovers alike would bring in the the new chapter of the lives with a kiss. "You think you've got a place for one more customer?" He asked, lips curling into a smile, "I'll happily take a burnt lasagna if it means you'll accept me." He added, making her chuckle, she was unable to stop herself from doing so, despite the feeling of guilt that overwhelmed her.
"I think I can squeeze you in."
Although he was given a seat, Robin didn't use it, instead, he found himself hanging around back in the kitchen, observing Regina as she worked. He stared at her in awe, not uttering a single word. This was the same little girl who sat beside him in kindergarten, who commented on his glasses, made fun of them before telling him that she loved them. That same mischief, little girl who talked him into cheating during their English spelling test in second grade so they could earn themselves a prize from the gift box their teacher had prepared. He couldn't remember what she fished out, but he got a hair clip and although their teacher gave him the option to try again to replace it, he refused. He gave it to Regina instead.
They weren't the closest back then, but they were close. They were friends and now, they barely knew one another.
"So, what brings you here tonight?" Regina asked, snapping him back to reality. She could tell his mind was wandering by the expression he pulled. Surprised and confused, as if she was talking to him in a foreign language.
"I…I…"
Should he lie or should he tell the truth? Lies, as little as they may be, as harmless as one would think of them to be at times, they were still lies, but the truth wasn't easier to say.
Perhaps, to others, it would be a piece of cake to blurt out the fact that he came here to see her, to spend time with her, hopefully ask her out on another date and she'd agree, but for a man who was self-conscious, it wasn't a breeze. Nevertheless, he decided for the truth. He lost his chance back then, he couldn't lose this one either.
"I came to see you."
"You did?" Regina asked, seeming genuinely surprised.
"I did," he confirmed, "we got off on the wrong foot, so I thought, why not start over and try again?"
"So you wanna be friends?"
Robin bit the inside of his cheek. He opted for more, but friends would do. "I wanna be friends."
"Alright then, friend—" she smirked, shoving a plate into his hands before waving over at another, "why don't you take these two out for me while I clean up. It's my last order of the night."
"Haven't you got a staff to do that?"
"I have, but aren't friends supposed to help one another?"
Robin rolled his eyes. "What table, madam?"
"Boss," she corrected, "no one calls me 'madam' here."
He rolled his eyes again. "What table, boss?"
Regina grinned, "Table two."
Robin stepped outside and in the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten one important thing. He had absolutely no idea how the tables were numbered, he didn't know which table was which. Wonderful. "Okay, who here ordered chicken tenders and some sort of pasta?" He shouted, startling a few diners. He knew this wasn't the most respectful way to do it, but it would do the job, and what would Regina do? Fire him?
"Over here!" Juliette called out, waving to grab his attention with a grin plastered over her face.
She was too friendly with him, which was odd, as she was the same little girl who got excited over her mother slapping him not long ago.
"Table two?" He asked, lowering the plates down when Juliette nodded in confirmation. "Enjoy your food, ladies."
"You'd make a terrible waiter, thank goodness Regina isn't hiring." Mal quipped.
"But he'd make a fun one though." Juliette argued, popping a ketchup-dipped fry into her mouth.
"Thank you, young lady."
Regina joined them after serving desserts and drinks to her customers. Her work day was officially over, it ended thirty minutes past eleven, around twenty minutes ago, but the restaurant still housed her diners, as it did every year around this time, until a little after midnight. She brought out a large pizza for them to share, two slices of the leftover lasagna, none of which were burned this time, and drinks. Champagne for the adults and a glass of sparkling apple juice for Juliette.
It was how she always spent the new year, with Malinda and Juliette beside her, munching down on leftovers, only this time, it was a little extra special. Whether she chose to admit it or not, she enjoyed Robin's presence.
The countdown began and Juliette echoed along with it. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. She grew more excited, she was finally achieving what she couldn't achieve last year, staying up to ring in the new year. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
"Happy New Year!" Juliette exclaimed in joy, bringing laughter to everyone around at her enthusiasm.
"Happy New Year." Robin whispered, brushing his lips delicately over Regina's cheek before drawing away with a smile.
He could've done what he wanted, he could've kissed her lips instead, but he didn't want their first kiss to be something everyone does to celebrate the clock striking midnight.
No, their first kiss would be much more meaningful, and perhaps not in front of her daughter and the friend who seemed to dislike him.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.