On the ride home, Robin felt it was best if he was the one behind the wheel. He wanted to give Regina a break, even if it was a small one. Instead of going the normal route home, he took a detour and pulled over to the side of the road when they arrived at the lake.

"What are we doing here?" Regina asked glumly, "I really just want to go home."

"This is where we went last time," Robin explained, "after your diagnosis. We came here and you cried and then you said you felt a little better."

"I remember."

"If you can beat this once, I know you can beat this again," Robin went on to say. He took his hand off the wheel and searched for Regina's, squeezing it gently. He was surprised when Regina abruptly pulled away and climbed out of the car.

"I'm not sad," Regina yelled through tight lips, "I am angry!" Robin could see the rage fill her eyes as they darkened and she began pacing back and forth, waving her hands around. "I was suppose to get a happy ending! I changed! I became good! And what did it get me?" She was quiet now and Robin just watched, wanting to say the right thing but not knowing what the right thing was. "What if I can't beat it this time?" Regina looked to the ground, to ashamed to admit that she was scared.

Robin stepped closer to her, gently tilting her chin up so she was looking in his eyes. "You will," he assured her sternly, "I have never known Regina Mills to give up a fight nor lose one." As he held her tight he could feel that she was shaking. He remained silent and let her cry and he would stand there all night if that's how long it took. In his mind, he was cursing all the prophecies and all the rules. They didn't matter. Not anymore.

When Regina was finished crying, she pulled away. Her body went rigid and before Robin knew it there was a fireball forming in her hand. "Regina, what-"

Regina tossed the fireball toward the lake, causing water to splash as it came into contact with the heat. She tossed another one and another one and another one. When she was finished she was breathing heavily, exhausted from using so much magic after a long period with no use. "Can we go home now?"

Once they arrived home, Regina put her emotions aside long enough to cook a nutritious dinner and place it on the table to feed her three favorite boys. Roland and Henry had both grown so much and they never missed an opportunity to stuff their faces.

"How was your appointment, Mom?"

Regina stuffed a bite of her salad into her mouth, hoping to put off the question a little longer. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Henry stopped eating and looked at his mother, really looked at her. He was suddenly blaming himself for not noticing the signs earlier when she first got home. Her eyes were still slightly pink and swollen and that was her telltale sign of crying.

"It didn't go well, did it?"

"Well, the cancer has returned," Regina answered quietly, "but the doctor is confident that with treatment it can disappear again."

Henry got out of his chair and walked around the table to Regina's side, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. No matter how old he got, he would never miss those hugs. "I'm sorry."

When he pulled away Regina gently cupped his cheek. "Henry, you listen to me. You have nothing to be sorry for. This is not your fault and I promise you I will do everything I can to get well again."

Henry nodded and hugged her one last time before heading back to his plate. Regina noticed the lone tear escape his eye and suddenly she was sick to her stomach. She couldn't stand to see Henry upset and knowing that she caused it only made her feel worse. "I think I'm going to head to bed," she said solemnly, "goodnight."

Roland, who had been quiet through the whole conversation, finally spoke up. "Is Regina gonna be okay?"

"She will be," Henry promised, "she just might be sick for awhile."

Roland seemed to accept the answer and went back to slurping his soup, leaving everyone else at the table to their own thoughts.

Later that night, after dinner and after telling the children the bad news, Regina climbed into bed early and Robin followed suit. "How's Henry?"

"He's the truest believer," Robin reminded her, "he believes that you can beat it."

A small smile creeped on her face, "sounds like my Henry."

"He hasn't changed a bit."

They were silent for a few moments before Regina spoke again. "I made a list."

Robin turned on his side so he was facing her and propped his head onto his hand. "What type of list?"

"A list of things I want to do before… just in case anything happens."

Robin was silent, contemplating if the list was a good idea or a bad one. Sure, it wouldn't hurt to complete the list and make Regina happy but, was this her way of believing that she couldn't beat cancer the second time around? "I'll help you complete everything on that list on one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you fight as long as it takes and that you don't give up. We're soulmates and that means I can't live without you. So you don't get to die. Not today and not ten weeks from now and not ten years. You're stuck with me forever. You promised."

Tears threatened to spill out of Regina's eyes but instead she smiled. "I love you, Robin."

He responded by pulling her in for a deep kiss, tasting the leftover taste of lipstick as he did so. "What's number one?"

Regina chuckled, "you don't want to know."

"How can I help you accomplish the task if you won't tell me?"

Regina sighed. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Robin smiled his crooked smile and pulled Regina even closer to him, inhaling her sweet scent. "I want to paint the house."

"You want to paint the house?" Robin was shocked. He had never seen Regina decorate in any colors except red, black, and white.

"Yes. I'm thinking a light blue for the living room. That way the furniture will still match. What do you think?"

"I think… it's a lovely idea."