A/N- greetings everyone! we have reached the final part of this crazy little journey. I want to apologize for the delay, I was caught up with work and uni and ugh so many things that aren't even worth mentioning. but here we are to finish this! it's an epilogue, sort of, as it's very brief and it's just like to wrap it up everything. like I said in chapter one this is my headcanon for Zelena (and Robin) thus it has my twist on it, so if you're not fond of it, sorry not sorry lol but seriously thank you for those who stuck with me and this crazy shit I wrote till the end, you guys are the best and I love you all with all my heart! thank you thank you thank you! without any further I leave you with the final part, I hope you enjoy! xoxo

to the guest reviewer: I guess it's a honest mistake since I do write Outlaw Queen fics too, haha. but my endgame here was always Robin and Zelena, I'm glad you understand me and like them too, and like my story. thank you very much dear :) xx

I'VE GOT AN ELASTIC HEART

It's Storybrooke's Miner's Day. There are booths with pretty much everything. It's the first they have in two years and everybody is really excited about it.

Zelena is watching the fair from across the street. It looks like everyone is having fun and she wished to be there among the citizens, but she doesn't dare to try. She's been in the redemption path for a while now but her human interactions so far have been only with Regina, Henry, Robin and his little boy, and Archie; not even the Charmings have talked to her yet so she's pretty sure no one in town would welcome her at their celebration. On her part, she wouldn't even be here in the first place, but Henry had insisted and Regina had said that people need to see her face because wanting or not she will be a part of this community. She had appealed to Archie, but he had betrayed her and agreed with Henry and Regina, saying that she was ready.

Since this redemption thing started, she had agreed to see Dr Hopper regularly. She didn't want it at first, but one of the conditions in their agreement was that she had to talk to someone, and it was him or Regina herself, and since she did not want to talk about her feelings with the sister she hated for so long, she had agreed to see Archie. Plus, Henry had claimed that "Archie is awesome, he's the official therapist for the Mills Family" and it warmed her heart with a sense of belonging that made her give in. Not that she had admitted that though. At least not to Henry or Regina; she actually admitted it to Archie several sessions later. And the kid was right, Archie looked dumb but he was really smart and a nice guy. He was her only friend.

Well, not her only friend. There was Robin. But was Robin her friend, really? She kept him company when was working at the mansion, and they talked at his breaks, and sometimes over the phone after he finished his work. He had even brought his little boy a few times, and she would have so much fun with him. I mean, how can you not love those little dimples? Her absolute favorite moment when she was telling him a silly story, and making faces and voices, and he said between laughs "you're so funny" with those little eyes totally free of judgment and full of innocence, that she had to grab the bench to steady herself and take three deep breaths, or else she would have had a meltdown right there. Children and their power.

But just because she loved spending time with Robin and Roland, and they seemed to enjoy her company, it didn't mean they were friends. They couldn't all care about each other that much, right?

"Zeleeeeeeeeeeeeenaaaaaa!" a little voice came to her ears, bringing her back from thought island to reality. She then saw Roland running towards her with the most wonderful smile, and she automatically got up to grab and lift him, with a big smile of her own.

He rounded her neck with his little arms and she adjusted him on her hip, trying not to lose balance with his weight. "Oh my God, you're so big and heavy! Next time you're the one who's gonna carry me!" she plays with him while notes his father approaching them.

"No way!" he beams and laughs. Then he points to Robin, "Papa can carry you!"

And she can't help the blush on her cheeks at the thought of Robin's strong arms carrying her. She turns fully to Roland to hide her embarrassment from his father. And she momentarily hates that this redemption thing is making her go soft; the old Zelena would never be embarrassed by this.

"I can carry both of you at the same time!" Robin answers playing with his son too, and Zelena turns her face away and coughs to mask the deeper blush that crept on her face now.

"You're okay?" the former thief asks when she turns back to him, but not quite meeting his eyes.

"Yes, yes. I'm wonderful" she says giving him a genuine smile.

"You are", he says doing a full body check on her, meeting her eyes at the end and winking. And she's caught by surprise, so she doesn't have the time to turn away or disguise the blushing now, especially since can't quite look away from his deep blue eyes.

He smiles more brightly and changes the subject to take the spotlight from her. "I'm sorry about him. He saw you from across the street and wanted to come here. I told him to not disturb you but well, he's the child of a thief, sometimes he doesn't recognize authority."

She laughs at this and Roland laughs too, even though he has no idea of what's happening. "It's all right. He will never disturb me", she says and turns to Roland, pretending to try to bite his cheeks. He squeals and laughs loudly, then he tries to grab her lips to make her stop.

"I have a gift for you!" Roland yells when he finally manages to hold her mouth. She stops trying to free herself and frown. Still giggling, he let go of her lips. "No biting!" he adds while reaches inside the little pocket of his coat.

Zelena looks at Robin confused, but he only looks back at her with a knowing smile. Roland then takes a necklace from his pocket and holds in front of her face with a big smile of his own. It's a toy necklace, a plastic chain with a plastic stone, like those you win as a souvenir in booths for children at fairs. But it's Roland giving it to her; he is willingly giving her a gift, and his smile is so big. She doesn't even know how to react so she just stares at it.

"It's not stolen", Robin comments and that snap her out of her trance. "He hit one duck at the booth and the guy offered him a stuffed animal, but when he saw the necklace he begged for it. He really wanted to give it to you."

"It's blue!" Roland yells swinging the necklace in front of her face. "It's blue like your eyes, and Papa's eyes!" he explains with excitement.

And all she wants to do right now is run. She wants to hide, to get away from this little boy and his father because somehow she knows that they're going to be her undoing.

Roland had thought of her. He saw something and remembered her, a detail about her. He thought of her and his father. As though they were a unit. And Robin didn't mind that, he didn't reprimand his son or tried to talk him out of this idea. He actually seemed almost as excited as his little boy. Is that what having your own family looks like?

She can feel her eyes watering and she tries her best to not cry right then.

"Why you crying?" Roland asks, his face faltering. "You don't like it?"

And she chuckles at that because, really, only an innocent child wouldn't understand the emotions swirling on her face right now.

"It's the best gift anyone has ever given me", she says looking directly at his little eyes and his smile is creeping back on his face. "I love it, Roland. Thank you very, very much"

"You wanna wear?" he asks grinning at her.

"Of course!" and she really, really wants. She would wear it for the rest of her life as a reminder of this moment. Besides, since Regina took her pendant she feels naked without a necklace.

"Here, let me put it on you", Robin offers taking the necklace from Roland. When he closes the clasp, he traces his index finger through the plastic chain, inevitably making contact with the skin of her neck, and she shivers under his touch. She turns to him and as they lock gazes, he says "Beautiful".

Yep, they will most definitely be her undoing.

"Time for ice cream!" Roland yells startling the adults who were too lost in each other's eyes to acknowledge his fussing.

Robin and Zelena exchange awkward smiles, and she put the little boy back on the ground. He immediately runs off to go back at the fair, his father following him while warning "No running!"

Robin takes a few steps before realizing that Zelena isn't following them. He turns back at her with a frown. "You're not coming along?"

She smiles apologetically. "I wasn't invited to the party"

"I'm pretty sure it's a public event", he says with a smirk and she rolls her eyes at him.

"I meant I'm not welcome there"

"Says who?"

"Anyone you ask", she says with the closest thing to a shrug that a lady like her is capable of.

"What, those peasants? They know nothing", Robin dismisses jokingly. "Come, let's show them what real fun looks like", he says pointing the fair with a motion of his head.

She smiles at his insistence. "I'm very tempted but I don't think it's a good idea. I'm still in probation; I'm not allowed to get into with anyone so I can't defend myself if someone decides to attack me", she explains.

"That's okay", he says coming closer to her and putting his hand out for her to take. "I'll protect you"

Zelena then looks from his hand to his eyes while her heart almost breaks out from her ribcage. Now, looking at the pureness of Robin's blue eyes it downs on her all those things she and Regina talked about.

Mother was wrong. Love isn't weakness.

the end