A/N: Updating just cause or for reasons.

Chapter Four

From the second floor Women's Wear, Regina Mills is staring down at the Santa display on the first floor. She feels Mal shift beside her, each of them had been watching for the last few minutes. She's still not been able to let that nagging feeling go completely. "You don't think he's insane, do you?"

Mal's eyes slide from downstairs and rise to meet hers. There's a crease between her brow like she isn't sure she understands what she means when she says, "Kris?"

Regina lets out a sigh and turning away from the scene, she lowers her voice and tells her, "It's not just some act, I think he really believes he's Santa Claus."

Mal looks like she fighting a smile. Her lips are pressed together before she lifts a brow. "Maybe that's why he's so good at it."

"That's what Robin says."

The blonde's shoulders lift and fall as Regina studies her. There's not a single reservation in her gaze as to Kris' sanity. "What difference does it make? Stocks are up, sales are up… we've made more money in a week than we have the last three months."

"And all it would take is for him to leave or do something crazy and it all could fall apart just as fast if not faster," she insists, half annoyed that her coworker isn't taking this seriously.

"He's an old man, Regina. What could he possibly do?"

"I don't know," she lets out a resigned breath. This gig, as Robin likes to put it, for Kris may be just that, a little part for him, but it makes her nervous. "If the fate of the company rests on one very unstable old man, you're celebrating our return just a little too soon."

"Well, I'm not worried."

Obviously. Regina rolls her eyes. "I wish I could say the same."

"Good God Regina, stop being so damn negative all the time. It's exhausting just watching you." Mal uncrosses her arms and loops one around Regina's, leading them away from the scene. "Let's get lunch and talk about something actually interesting... like that adorable father in your office last night."

Her lips curl up despite her mood. If there's one person besides her son who is a fan of the idea of her relationship with Robin it's her coworker. "You know all about Robin… How about you tell me about this girlfriend of yours?"

Mal's chuckle is low and amused. "You know more about her than you think you do, or should I say, she knows more about you." At Regina's glance, she tells her, "You make appointments with her every three weeks."

That stops Regina in her tracks. "You're dating the woman who waxes me?"

"Oh, Regina, don't look so damn scandalized. She says only good things about you after all." Mal smirks and pulls them forward toward their favorite restaurant.

Oh, fabulous. Next week won't be awkward at all, she thinks.

#

"Mom?"

It's late, after ten, and she looks up to see her son who has been in bed for the last couple hours standing in the hall looking over at her. Setting her tablet aside, she pats the spot on the couch beside her. "Hey, sweetheart, what are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep," he says, but she can hear the sleepiness in his voice.

"Oh, why not?"

He comes and takes a seat beside her, but cuddles up to her side close, something he hasn't done for a while and it makes her heart twist in her chest at how big he's getting and how much she misses this. "It's about Santa Claus."

Her lips tip down. She's been expecting this. After meeting Kris the other day with Robin, he'd been quieter than normal the next morning and through most of the evening. She's been wondering if Kris' mistake thinking Robin was his father had been bothering him and meant to talk to him about how it made him feel, but Robin and Roland had joined them for dinner and his spirits had lifted so considerably she had forgotten. "Mr. Kringle? What about him?"

"When we were waiting to see Santa, I watched him do sign language with a kid."

Her brows lift, yet again impressed by the man she knew so little about. "I didn't know he knew sign language."

"He does. He also speaks Russian and Swahili."

"He's a very intelligent man," she allows, because he is.

"He looks just like Santa would."

"That's why I chose him."

Henry looks away, at their Christmas tree, and she wonders what's going on in that little mind of his. She hates that this whole Santa Claus thing is bothering him. Finally, he looks back up at her and says in a voice so small it almost breaks her heart, "You're sure he's not the real thing?"

She blinks at him for a moment, torn on whether to give in and let him fall into this fantasy or to keep to her beliefs that this way, knowing the truth, will be better for him. No, this isn't the time to start questioning her choices. She's told him the truth and she's sticking to that. "Henry, we talked about this. You understand Santa is just a myth."

"But what if… what if we're wrong?" His eyes are looking into hers as if he's looking for some kind of doubt there. That she may not be so sure. "All my friends believe in Santa Claus, even Roland believes."

"Most children your age do," she says while brushing his dark hair away from his brow. "And Roland's still very young."

"How come I don't?"

"Because I thought you deserved to know the truth. Someone being truthful to you is one of the most important things you'll ever have in your life. Believing in myths and fantasies just make you unhappy."

"Did you believe in Santa Claus when you were my age?"

"I did."

"Were you unhappy?"

"When all the things that I believed in turned out not to be true, yes, I was unhappy."

"Maybe I want to think about this whole Santa thing some more? Is it okay if I wait to decide for sure?"

"Henry, you can believe whatever you want to believe. I've told you what I think, but I'll be the first to admit it if I'm wrong. I have an idea, why don't you ask Mr. Kringle for something that you would never ask me for. Then on Christmas day if you don't get it, then you'll know once and for all truth about Santa Claus."

His eyes grow a bit wider as he mulls over the idea. He's thinking of something to ask for. She can see it in the way his eyes drop between them and then the way his brow furrows before something hits him and just like that, he's smiling up at her. "That's a great idea."

"Thank you," she tells him and then drops her forehead to rest against his. "Now, do you think you can get some sleep?"

A little chuckle escapes him, and then he gives her with a little confident, "Yeah."

"Good." She kisses his soft cheek, whispers to him, "Good night," and "I love you."

"I love you, too."

#

Are you up?

He blinks at her name and then notices the time. Just after midnight. Christ, has he been working that long? It takes him only a couple of swipes across his screen then he's replying to her. I am. Want company?

Please.

I'll be right there, love.

He takes the baby monitor from where it's been sitting beside him on the side table, something he keeps close when he works out in the living room and when he goes over to Regina's late at night. His son is a heavy sleeper. Once he's out he's pretty much out until morning, but the range on the monitor extends to Regina's and gives him the freedom to go back and forth.

He steps out into the hall and smiles at the dark-haired beauty there waiting for him by her door. "Hey," he tells her quietly before locking his apartment.

"Hi." Her voice is soft and warm, but there's a despondency about it that makes him think she's upset about something.

When they're inside, he tilts his head at her. "What's wrong?"

She lets out a breath and tucks her dark hair behind her ears, then walks over to the couch. He follows and sits down beside her, angles his body so he can listen and look at her while she starts to tell him about her conversation with Henry. When she finishes, he watches as she inhales a deep breath and then does something that takes him completely by surprise and asks, "What do I do?"

Taking her hand, he asks her honestly, "If he wants to believe, is it really so bad?"

Her lips pull down, she looks annoyed at him when she replies, "And when he realizes it's all been a lie?"

"Regina, you've done your best. You told him what you believe, and when the time comes, he'll know that." She looks dubious at that, and so he goes on, "As much as you want to, and believe me, darling, I have the same feelings about Roland, you cannot protect him from everything that may hurt him. All you can do is be there for him when it happens."

She's shaking her head, he can tell she doesn't like that one little bit. "But if I can stop it from happening before… shouldn't I?"

"If it would harm him, I would say, yes, but I don't think this will. Not really."

"I told him to ask Kris for something he wouldn't ask me for."

Robin chuckles, impressed she's let a bit of her control away to Henry. "Clever that."

She raises an elegant eyebrow at him. Her lips are curving up, but he can tell she's trying to fight her smile. "I'm glad you approve."

His top teeth sink into his bottom lip as his love for her blooms in his belly. He's utterly and completely besotted with her, and he can't believe he's made it this long without kissing her. He scoots closer to her, and says, "Speaking of the idea of gift giving, there's something I've been wanting for Christmas, but it may be better to show you what it is."

"Oh, well then…" Her eyes fall to his lips and her tongue peeks out to wet her own. "I have been wondering what to get you."

"Well then let me oblige…"

They're both smiling right before he takes her lips with his and if they snog a little while past their bedtime… well, who can blame them?