No Regrets, Chapter 4
Nighttime Interlude
Regina awoke with a gasp, body still thrumming with pleasure. The sensations had been so wonderful and intense, she and Robin, ooh…
"Did you have a bad dream?" Roland asked, climbing out of the covers of his cot and plopping himself down on hers.
"No just a strange one" Regina flushed with embarrassment, then internally scolded Robin "Roland's right here."
"And you just explained you had a strange dream" He chuckled. "I think we both rather enjoyed the strange dream, Regina." The laugh was naughty this time.
Regina opened her arms for a hug from Roland and patted him on the back.
"Yes, but-"Regina thought back at Robin
"Regina, look behind you."
Before she could turn around, Roland cried out with joy "Daddy!" and leaped off the cot.
Regina turned sharply around, "Robin."
Robin stood at the back of the tent, or at least a ghostly image of him did. Roland started to reach toward his father, but hesitated, uncertain now.
Robin tried to speak but grimaced when no sound came out. He sighed, and tried another tactic.
Roland's eyes widened and he exclaimed "Daddy's talking in my head, Regina!"
Regina realized what had happened. "Robin, you read that book of mine, didn't you?"
"Soulmates magic" He grinned. "I did." But then his expression turned serious. "I have no natural magic, Regina. But I have this bond with you. I wanted to help you any way you might ever need."
She felt tears well up in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Actual thanks from milady?" He teased to lighten the mood.
"Back to that, thief?" She smiled playfully.
His smile turned tender, remembering the last time she had called him that, with the same expression. Just before almost being lost to her forever. Before she remembered that moment he said to her, "I wanted Roland to see me and hear me, so he knew this is real, I am here, even if it's just my soul. I was hoping for maybe a bit more, but I guess my lack of magic limits this."
"More?"
"That I'd be a bit more, substantial; I wanted to be able to hold him and my daughter, and to kiss you, and not just when you are asleep."
"Hmm" She stood and walked toward him. "I think I can help with that." With a flirtatious smirk she kissed him.
It worked, while still ghostly looking, Regina felt Robin become more solid against her lips, then her body. One arm went around her, while the other drew Roland to his side.
The boy threw his arms around his father and laughed. "It tickles!"
Regina broke the kiss, but stayed in Robin's embrace and smiled down at Roland. "It does, but a good kind of tickle, hmm"
"Yeah!"
She looked back up at Robin. "Let me get your daughter."
He nodded.
She broke from the embrace and quickly picked up the baby. She knew this magic would only last a limited time. The kiss helped extend the power and time a bit, but if he wanted to hold his daughter, that needed to happen now.
Robin nodded as she laid the baby in his arms. Roland stayed at his father's side and looked up at his sister. Robin kissed the baby on her forehead. She stirred, but did not awaken. He sighed, then handed the baby back to Regina. She laid the baby back in the basket, then stepped back into Robin's embrace.
"Think it's fading." He spoke his first words aloud to both.
"I could kiss you again; it'll last a bit longer"
"No. It's fine. You both need to rest."
Regina sighed but nodded.
Then Robin looked down at his son. "I'm really here; it's not just a dream. You be a good boy while Regina and I go on our trip, okay? Look after your sister too."
"Yes, Daddy." He said with a solemn nod.
Robin sighed again. "Think times up" He said in Regina's mind.
She and Roland held onto Robin until he faded away. Regina's heart clenched. It reminded her too much of what had happened in her office. Roland tightly embraced her.
"I'm still here, Regina." Robin said reassuringly, in her head. She felt herself relax. Then she looked down at Roland. Robin was right; they both needed the rest of the night's sleep. "Back to bed now."
"Okay. Daddy said you need to stop some really bad magic."
"Yes, if we don't it could hurt your sister when she grows up."
"Like it hurt daddy and you?"
"Yes."
He looked scared. "What if you can't stop it?"
"I believe your father and I can. I think that's why we are soulmates, and that was why it's tried so hard to stop us."
"So daddy and you will use that and save my sister?"
"Yes." Sisters, Regina thinks, resting her hand over her womb. But that news could wait until Robin and she returned, hopefully with Robin restored. Surely, there was something out there wanting them to break this curse, and would give Robin back his life for it. She would beg if she had to. Robin deserved to be restored to life far more than Hook. Robin was a good and just man not a barely reformed villain. And they would succeed; she would fight the universe if she had to.
Roland climbed back onto his cot. "Regina, could you tell me one more story?"
"About your father?"
"No, about you, when you were my age."
Regina breathed a sigh of relief, a story about her when she was around 6 years old... She thought for a moment, then smiled...
"I learned to ride my first horse when I was your age. It was just a pony, but it looked so big to me. I was kind of scared, but I pretended like I wasn't."
"What happened?"
"I fell off." She laughed.
"Did you get hurt?"
"No, only embarrassed. But my daddy told me I just had to get back up on it."
"Did you?"
"Yes, and I fell off again." She smirked.
"But you got back up again, because your daddy said you could, right?"
"Yes, and once I learned how, it was my favorite thing to do. I spent hours doing that as much as I could."
"So that's why you don't give up, when it could be a good thing that happens?"
"Yes, even if you fall down a few times."
Roland nodded. "Then I believe in daddy and you making the bad magic go away, because you don't give up."
Regina hugged him and kissed his forehead. "Thank you, Roland."
She tucked in the covers and smiled at him. "Now lets both go back to sleep"
As she lay on her cot, she wondered if Henry was following what was happening as the author, back in Storybrooke. She blushed then, and hoped not too closely…
