The Park

Regina had just finished getting her shoes on when she heard the doorbell downstairs. The person, whoever it was, apparently had no patience because a sharp knocking directly followed the bell.

Hauling herself up from the chair, she started down the hall. She shook her head from the top of the stairs at the sound of the bell again and growled, "I'll be right there."

Regina made it to the front door, slightly out of breath, just as the pounding started again. She yanked it open, ready to give the person a piece of her mind, only to be confronted by the image of a smiling Snow White, who was carrying two huge brown paper bags full of groceries.

A bright tone greeted Regina as Snow breezed past her. "About time, these things aren't getting any lighter, you know."

Regina raised an irritated eyebrow and took a few moments to take a deep breath before replying, "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Snow replied, heading toward the kitchen with Regina following close behind her. "I'm going to make you breakfast."

"I already ate," Regina bristled. Snow's face fell and Regina couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for lying. Damn these hormones.

"You did?" came the dark haired woman's soft, disappointed reply.

"Yes," Regina sighed and motioned over to the loaf of wheat bread still out on the counter with a wave of her hand. "I had some toast earlier. So if you don't mind…"

Snow rolled her eyes while setting the bags next to the bread and started to dig out the contents. "That's not a breakfast, Regina," Snow lightly scolded. "You're eating for two now. Come on, sit down. I'm going to make us all something better than toast."

Regina's brows rose. "Us?"

"Yes, well we all planned to meet this morning anyways." Snow shrugged, her pixie cut making her seem younger than her years. "This way, we kill two birds with one stone, and I'll feel better knowing that you've eaten something substantial."

Regina shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose at her step-daughter's audacity. She felt a headache coming on. Lifting her head, she leveled a stare at Snow, who met it with full force of her own. "I suppose I don't have much say in the matter."

Snow shook her head. "Not really, no."

"No say in what?"

Regina swung around at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Regina's just being Regina," Snow called over her shoulder to her husband.

Hook appeared behind him with another bag tucked into the crook of his arm. "Good morning, Your Majesty. We're commandeering your home – upon Snow White's invitation of course."

David turned to Regina, answering the obvious question in her wide eyes. "The door was open, we just let ourselves in."

She gave him a wry look. "So I see."

David smiled as he walked over to his wife. Regina watched as he stopped to give Snow a peck on the cheek before rolling up his sleeves, intent on helping to prepare this breakfast Regina just had to eat.

Twenty minutes later, Emma strolled through the door. "Morning. Sorry I'm late. I had to make sure Henry was occupied for the day."

After cups of coffee were distributed, David leaned against the counter. "So now that we know who we're dealing with, how do we find this Wicked Witch?"

"Might I suggest we start by asking if anyone's seen a woman with green skin running around?" Hook quipped.

Regina fought a losing battle to keep from rolling her eyes at the pirate. "We're cursed in Storybrooke. She'll look like any one of us." She eyed Hook, still in black leather and eyeliner. "Most of us, that is." He merely smirked and sipped his coffee.

"Then we start somewhere we know she's been - Regina's office?" Emma supplied, catching the eyes of those in the room.

But Regina shook her head. "I went over it with a fine-toothed comb. She left no trace."

"But you were combing for magic. Maybe there's physical evidence that you missed," the blonde pointed out.

David stood up before Regina could answer. "Good idea. We'll track her."

Regina looked over at them all. Going over her office again was all pointless. "If you want to waste your time playing Nancy Drew, be my guest, but we can't let Henry wander around alone with that witch and her flying monkeys out there."

"Well, especially since one of those flying monkeys could turn out to be his father," Hook offered, much to the discomfort of Snow White.

"Still no sign of Neal?" Snow asked, in an attempt to to smooth over the harsh possible reality behind Hook's words.

"No," Emma sighed.

"Point being, someone needs to protect Henry. He doesn't even know what's going on," Regina reiterated, while trying to keep the annoyance from her tone. She had no interest in Neal's fate. It was Henry and her unborn child who she needed to protect.

"I'm guessing you're volunteering?" Emma looked over at her.

Regina bit back a smile. She'd got what she wanted. "If you find anything, call me," she replied, getting to her feet.

"Just remember," Emma reminded. "He thinks we're here because I'm on a case."

Regina smirked. "Well, look who's gotten good at lying."

"Just don't let anyone slip up. As far as Henry knows, you're Madame Mayor, and that's it," Emma cautioned.

Swallowing hard, Regina fought off the feeling of helplessness and unimaginable sadness that swept over her at the loss of her son. She would give anything to make Henry remember her. Despite her years of magical training, there was nothing she could do, and the Savior just had to keep reminding her. "I'm well aware of how Henry sees me." Regina didn't look at anyone in particular, but it was obvious to whom her comment was directed. Snow leveled a look at her daughter for her tactless remark and sighed.

Once everyone had finished their beverages, David, Emma, and Hook set off to find some evidence left behind from the witch. Regina stood from the table, ready to go get Henry.

"Wait, Regina," Snow called after her before she left the dining room. "Before you go I -well I…"

Tilting her head, Regina's eyes narrowed as she watched the younger woman stammer. The image of Snow as a little girl looking down nervously at her hands while admitting to something she was about to be in trouble for flooded through Regina's mind. Not wanting to relive any of those memories, Regina impatiently cut to the chase. "Spit it out, Snow."

Snow was hesitant but barreled on quickly, knowing she was caught.,"I kind of met this woman in town, and she turned out to be a midwife…"

Regina's eyes widened knowingly. "No."

"Hear me out." Snow's shoulders slumped.

"Forget it," Regina told her, shaking her head. "We have a hospital in town."

"But it's Doctor Whale," Snow stated in mock horror as if Regina wasn't already aware of this. "Do you really want him delivering your baby?"

Regina held her hands out to the side. She had already thought about this, of course, but she wasn't going to admit it. She shrugged and added pointedly, "As much as I don't enjoy the idea, he's the only doctor we have."

"Until now," Snow added with a knowing look, making Regina sigh. She didn't bother pointing out that a midwife was not a doctor, and besides that, this woman was an unknown. Who was to say she really had been a midwife? They only had her word to go on. But Snow was so damned persistent...

"Come on, she's really nice, and if you don't like her, I swear I will leave it alone." Snow waved her hands in front of her.

Regina thought for a moment and then placed both hands on the counter. "Why do you feel this need to fuss over me? I'm fine."

"Please, Regina," Snow White pleaded.

The former queen shook her head. She was surprised Snow wasn't stomping her foot as well. "You're not going to drop this until you get your way, are you?"

"Well I know I can't force you to meet her, but Regina, despite all of our problems, I just want what's best for you and your baby," Snow admitted softly.

Regina bit the inside of her cheek. "Fine, when do you plan on doing this?"

Snow cringed. "In a few minutes…"

"Now?" Regina scoffed, aggravated. "I'm spending the day with Henry."

"It won't take long," Snow promised. "All you have to do is meet her."

"Fine, but…" Regina held up a finger, emphasizing her last words, "Only one minute."

"Thanks."

Five minutes later, a very annoyed Regina stood uncomfortably in the foyer while a cheerful 'Mary Margaret' made introductions.

"Zelena, this is Regina."

The red haired woman smiled and held out her hand. Regina was surprised to find she was younger than she expected.

"Madame Mayor, it's so lovely to meet you."

"Likewise; so Mary-Margaret tells me you're a midwife." Regina shook the woman's hand and then sat down on the couch while Zelena mirrored her, sitting across from Regina in an armchair.

"Yes, back in our realm I delivered many babies. I've been doing this since I was a young girl; my mother was a mid-wife too. I suppose it comes naturally to me."

Snow took a seat next to Regina and smiled as though expecting Regina to add something further. Regina rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous, she had things to do.

Zelena must have noticed the tension in the room because she took the opportunity to break the silence with a, "I take it this is your first pregnancy?"

Regina's smile tightened. "It is."

"I'm sure you're not worried though," Zelena stated with an airy laugh. "I mean, Mary Margaret here has already gone through labor, so I'm sure she's told you all about it. At least you know what to expect."

The room grew quiet. Did this woman live under a rock back in the Enchanted Forest? Regina cast a sideways glance at Snow. "Um, yes. I heard all about it."

"It's not something I'm sure I'll forget," Snow mumbled.

"Well, it's been almost 30 years," came Regina's best olive branch.

Snow smiled over at her and Regina couldn't help the way her lips tilted up in response.

"How's the father doing?" Zelena inquired, startling Regina and looking a little too curious for her comfort.

"Oh well, umm," Snow stammered, but Regina cut her off.

"He's great." She smiled widely, and the younger woman had the good grace to look chastened.

"Well, Mary Margaret was telling me earlier about what happened in this curse, losing your adopted son is… well, it's tragic." Regina opened her mouth to speak, but the redhead went on, "Look, I -I don't mean to pry, but she did express some anxiety about what you're going through."

Regina shot a glare at Snow. "You're talking about my life to perfect strangers behind my back?"

"Regina, we're missing a year of memories in the Enchanted Forest. We suddenly find ourselves in Storybrooke, and you're about to have a baby. It's all a bit disconcerting," Snow defended. "I think it's best to just get these anxieties out in the open."

"My anxieties or yours?" Regina questioned.

Zelena cut in. "Feelings, especially those we keep bottled up, can affect a pregnancy just as much as diet and exercise. Look, I suppose what I'm trying to say is that, if you've got any fears at all about any of this, it's best to just get it out - into the open."

"I don't…" Regina started, but then stopped, feeling overwhelmed and backed into a corner. It made her especially defensive, and the baby inside kicked, beginning to get fractious sensing Regina's emotions. She took a deep breath, and placing a hand on her stomach and rubbing over her child gently, she continued. "Look, I did not lose my son; he's still here. He just doesn't remember me, but he will as soon as we break this curse. No one knows heartache quite like me; I'm quite used to it to let it affect me or my pregnancy. I have no fears. The baby and I are just fine."

There was a moment of silence then a happy smile broke over Zelena's face. "Well, cheers to that, then. Mary-Margaret was right about you. You're very strong, very resilient."

Regina studied the woman, her eyes narrowing, an uneasy feeling prickling down her spine. The way she had said "resilient," as though it was some sort of requirement, sent a thread of thought into Regina's mind. Something about that word and the way Zelena said it was familiar...Shaking the feeling aside for now, she realized the time. "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm running late."

Zelena stood. "We should just let you get to it, then. It was wonderful to meet you, Madam Mayor."

Getting to her feet with as much dignified grace as she could, and with a little assist from Snow, Regina held out her hand. "It was nice to meet you, too, Zelena."

Zelena's grasp was firm and cold as she replied, "Pleasure's all mine."

Regina felt a frown settle on her lips as they left the house. The temperature was comfortable, perhaps even a bit warm, in her home, and they'd been sitting there for several minutes. Why was Zelena's hand so cold then?

"The ice cream good?" Regina smiled down at Henry as they walked along the path by the pond. It was cool out, but Henry never let anything get in his way when it came to eating ice cream.

"Delicious. My mom used to take me for gelato in Little Italy, but this is just as good." He smiled back. "How's yours?"

Regina hummed appreciatively as she took another bite from her own bowl. She'd gotten three scoops of Chunky Monkey. Normally one scoop of sugar-free sherbet was all she would allow herself, and that in itself, was a rarity. Apparently her baby was a big fan of chocolate chunks. "Well, Storybrooke's got its own charms, though I know it must seem quaint compared to the big city."

The young boy's shoulders rose and fell. "It's nice, actually. New York's great, but there's so many people, it can make you feel…" he trailed off, and she could tell he was looking for just the right word.

Knowing her son the way that she did, Regina offered, "Alone?"

Henry laughed. "Yeah."

"Mm." Regina nodded, taking another scoop of ice cream.

"Yeah."

"That's the best part of a small town. Everybody knows everybody. It's like…" She thought about how much things had changed and how life seemed now before finishing, "It's like a big family."

Henry stopped walking and turned to her. "Can I tell you something?"

His look was serious so she gave him her full attention. "Sure," Regina said, tossing her empty ice cream bowl into the trash beside them.

"I don't think it was just the case that brought my mom to Storybrooke," the young boy admitted to her.

Regina was wary of where he was going with this, and was not wanting to give too much away, so she adopted a look of impassive innocence. "Uh, what do you mean?"

Ever so blunt, her son answered, "I think she wanted to get out of New York for a while."

Regina tilted her head in concern. "W-why do you think that?"

"My mom's boyfriend, his name was Walsh. He proposed to her."

"Oh." Her eyes widened, a bit. This was interesting, she thought.

"And two days later, she's taking me out of school for some job in Maine. She wouldn't take a job in Queens if it meant I'd miss school," he emphasised with a bit of teenage exasperation.

She smiled at that. It was reassuring to know Emma was so diligent when it came to Henry's education. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know," he said, giving a slight shrug. "But I doubt we'd be here if she said yes."

"And how do you feel about it? Did you like him, this…" Regina hated the very idea of a man she didn't know fathering up to Henry and it was with a bit of hostility, she finished, "Walsh?"

"He was a little...intense, but I liked how happy he made her. Plus, it might be nice having more than two place settings during the holidays."

Regina couldn't help but smile at that. "I think one day you'll have more family than you'll know what to do with."

He tilted his head and returned her smile. "You think so?"

She could have laughed. "I really do." They started walking again, and suddenly her breath caught in her throat, feeling a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen. Oh, no, Regina thought knowing enough about pregnancy to know what this meant. Another pain ripped through her and she gasped, doubling over.

"What?" Henry came to a halt. Putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Regina tried to breath, but the pain was preventing her from focusing. "I'm not sure." She took a deep breath and gasped again.

"Okay, come here and sit down," Henry instructed, helping her to the bench beside them just before her knees began to buckle. "I'll go get help."

Regina shook her head. "No, I'll be fine…"

"No, don't move." Henry told her. "I'll be right back."

Nodding, she let Henry go. Not because she thought she needed help, but because she thought if she were alone she could focus and get through it on her own. After a moment the pain started to lessen. Just when she thought it was okay to sit up, a few minutes later, she felt another pain, and it was just as intense, if not more. She forced herself to hold onto the arm of the bench, even though she felt like she would surely rip it off. After a moment, the pain passed, and she took a deep breath. Breathe, she told herself. Closing her eyes, she let a breath pass through her lips, another, and then another. She could do this.

"Milady, are you injured?"

Regina opened her eyes and was startled to see a pair of worried bright blue eyes looking into hers. Henry had gone for help, and now a man was kneeling beside her, his hand on her arm. She begun to relax a bit and was convinced the pain wouldn't occur again. "No… yes… I'm fine."

"Are you in labor?" his soft accented voice asked, gently.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, right before another contraction ripped through her. Sitting up, she hissed as her hands wrapped protectively around her stomach. Tears gathered in her eyes as she quietly admitted, "It's too soon for this. I'm not ready."

She immediately saw the concern cloud his features. Bringing his hand up, he rested it over hers, and she couldn't help feeling a sense of comfort from his touch. "How far along are you?"

"I-" She met his gaze. She should know this, but she didn't. She'd been so busy and so preoccupied with everything that she hadn't had time to go see Whale. Now that she sat there regret and guilt washed over her. She made a promise to her baby, and she couldn't even do that right. Tears once again filled her eyes, realizing she'd failed before she ever got started.

"Milady." The man in front of her took her hand that rested against his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It could be false labor, you know. It's fairly common. Try not to worry just yet, alright?"

Regina had to grasp his hand with both of hers when another pain hit her. This one was worse than the others. She held her breath and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she concentrated on the pain and isolated it. Finally, after a few minutes of huffing and puffing, with the encouraging words of a stranger and the reassuring grip of his warm hand,, she was able to get her breath again.

She could hear his voice close to her ear. "Just breathe."

"Easy for you to say," she bit out through clenched teeth.

"Can I get someone for you? Your husband?"

Regina all but shouted, "I don't have a husband!"

"Alright... Okay, that's all right," he soothed. "Of course you don't. We should get you to the hospital. Can you stand?"

She looked up at him through narrowed eyes. "What? I don't even know you."

"Well, if you'd like I could leave you here on the bench..." His words trailed off, and Regina followed his gaze, which wandered over to Henry, who stood next to a small boy not more than four or five years old. "However, I'd be setting a bad example for my son, and I cannot let him grow up thinking he can leave behind damsels in distress, now can I?" Her eyes flicked back to the man as he beseeched, "Please, milady, allow me to escort you to the hospital."

She looked up at him and then at the boy. The pleading look in his crystal blue eyes coupled with the worried expression on Henry's face brought her defenses crashing down. She certainly couldn't get to the hospital by herself. "Fine, but I didn't ask for your help."

The man chuckled. It was a deep rich thing that made Regina wonder if the sensation of butterflies was the baby or her.

"A simple 'thank you' would suffice."

Later that afternoon, Regina lay in the hospital bed watching Dr. Whale as he reviewed her medical records. Once she got to the hospital, Whale insisted on running just about every medical test known to this realm, wanting to make up for nearly nine months of missed prenatal care. While Regina appreciated his concern her baby's health, she couldn't help but feel completely useless lying in a hospital bed when there was a wicked witch on the loose just waiting to pounce.

Regina sighed heavily as Whale 'hmm'ed' and 'mmm'ed' over the paperwork in front of him, and she huffed, "How much longer is this going to take?"

He raised both eyebrows in a look of disbelief and spoke to her in a strong voice, "You nearly escaped preterm labor. You need rest, Mayor Mills. I suggest you get comfortable because you'll be staying overnight."

She scowled. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I am. While I could honestly say you wouldn't deserve every ounce of pain brought on with childbirth, I cannot say I would risk the life of someone innocent of your evil deeds. The stress, in combination with constant time on your feet, is progressing your pregnancy a tad too fast for my liking. By my estimates, you have a few more weeks left, but at the rate you're going, you're not going to make it through the week. For the next twenty four hours, Your Majesty, you will stay in that bed."

Regina frowned, her brows lowering dangerously over her eyes. Whale snatched a bottle from the nearby treatment table, and coming over to the chair beside her bed, ordered, "Lift up your shirt."

Regina's eyebrows rose into her hairline. "Excuse me?"

Whale rolled his eyes at her. Gesturing to the screen in front of him, he took the doppler from the Sonoscape machine and held it up. "Would you like to see your baby or not?" Though trying to be firm and distant, a slow smile spread across his features.

Tears pooled in Regina's eyes, but she pushed them back as she exposed her abdomen. Whale poured a clear, cold substance onto her belly before he rubbed the Doppler through the gel. He then reached over to switch on the screen monitor.

At first it was hard for Regina to make out anything, but then the doctor moved the instrument just to the right and her baby's profile filled the screen. Regina's heart clenched, and the tears she pushed away earlier fell unchecked down her cheeks in hot streaks.

"Do you want to know the sex?"

Regina shook her head. She didn't need to be told. Her baby was a girl. Her magic gave her a sense of the baby, enough to tell her that at least.

Whale began fiddling with a few more things, and then suddenly the room filled with a gentle thumping sound. "And there's the heartbeat. 168 beats per minute. Perfect."

Regina choked back a sob, covering her mouth with her hand to block the wide smile through her tears. "That's her?"

"None other."

There was no doubt about it. There, as large as life on the screen, was her small baby within, her heart beating strongly. Regina's hand automatically came to rest over her lower abdomen. A million thoughts raced through her mind, but she voiced her first concern, "Is she healthy?"

"As a horse… as the saying goes. And surprisingly, considering your lifestyle," Whale cut off when he caught Regina's sharp look. "Er, your diet, which you will have to modify over the next few weeks if you want the baby to continue to full term."

Finding her voice, Regina asked. "If everything's perfect, what do I need to modify?"

"I would like you to cut out caffeine of any kind, have regular meals – full meals, and I want you to try to get some more rest, especially in these next few days. Perhaps take a few naps?" Regina scowled at him, causing him to give her a stern look of impatience. "Listen to your body, it knows what's best for the baby."

Regina let out a breath. "Oh, is that all?"

"For the moment," Whale got up from his seat and handed Regina a towel. "I'd like you here once a week until you deliver, and of course, if you have any concerns or problems, I am only a quick drive away."

She rolled her eyes, and he then turned to leave. As he reached the door, she muttered a cursory, "Thank you, Doctor," to which he nodded before turning once again and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

For the next few hours as she sat in the hospital bed, Regina let her mind wander to all the roles she had played in her life. The Evil Queen had been portrayed for more years than any of them, but the role of mother was without a doubt the most important. Rubbing slow circles over her belly as she stared out at the forest, the mother-to-be took up residence, leaving the Evil Queen unceremoniously shoved aside.

Later that afternoon, Snow marched into her hospital room unannounced, carrying the biggest bouquet of flowers Regina had ever seen. Standing at the end of her bed, partially hidden by flowers and foliage, Regina could still see Snow's eyes looking at her hopefully, and she shook her head and muttered, "You never do anything in halves, do you?" She couldn't quite help the half-smile that quirked up her lips.

Snow smiled proudly. "Not that I'm aware of. How are you feeling?"

"It was just muscle spasms, I'm fine."

"Henry told us all about it. We were really worried." Snow sat on the edge of her bed. "Who's the guy?"

Regina blinked at her. "Excuse me?"

"The man that brought Henry home…" Snow began, shifting to face her fully. "The one that helped you."

"Oh, him." Regina shrugged and picked at an invisible string on her white hospital blanket. "I never caught his name."

A grin spread across the former princess's face. "He's kinda cute, huh?"

Regina scrunched up her nose. "He smelled like forest."

Just when the younger woman was about to say something else, the rest of the gang wandered in.

Regina caught Emma's eyes. "How's Henry? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's tough. Don't worry." Emma sent her a smirk. "You didn't scar him too horribly. How about you, you okay?"

Regina nodded. Tired of being coddled, she sat up adopting her best Madame Mayor face, said, "I'm fine, now what's going on?"

David jumped right in and began to fill in Regina about his time earlier that day in the forest and how he had to fight off a demon who took on the image himself.

"Any particular reason she would send a demon who looks like you?" Hook's brow furrowed.

"No idea." David shook his head. "It was just there, wearing my face, harping on my deepest fears."

Regina stopped him. "It knew your deepest fears?"

"Yeah, things I never told anyone, not even Mary Margaret. It wasn't until I admitted them that I was able to defeat it by stabbing it with the hilt of my sword."

Regina wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer but asked, "Where is it? Your sword?"

He looked around the room at everyone. "That's the strange part. After I killed it, the hilt, it disappeared."

"Well, what's that mean, then?" Hook wondered aloud.

Regina swallowed. This was worse than she suspected. "When we face our deepest fears, our true courage comes out. When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears, your courage transferred into it."

He looked back at her. "Then why'd it disappear?"

She met his stare, but bit her lip before answering. "It didn't disappear. She took it."

"Hang on." Emma stepped up to the bed. "The Wicked Witch stole his courage?"

"Well, a symbol of it, at least," Regina clarified. "And symbols can be powerful totems."

It was then that Whale stepped in, and looking around the room at everyone, he sighed. "Okay everyone, I hate to break up the party, but my patient needs some rest, so unless you're in a hospital bed, the rest of you Avengers need to go."

"I'm fine," Regina protested.

"Well I'm afraid your doctor disagrees," Whale replied, holding the door open with a clear look of invitation for all those not in a hospital bed to vacate.

"I need to get back to Henry, anyways," Emma said.

Snow gave Regina a sympathetic smile. "Get some rest. I'll come back tomorrow."

"Listen, I'm…"

"Fine, yes we all know." Snow interrupted, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze before releasing it. "It doesn't mean we can't be worried."

Regina watched them go, and after the door was closed, she sank back into the bed exhausted. So much for her pregnancy not slowing her down. Closing her eyes, she finally gave in and slept.

Hearing a noise, Regina looked up sleepily from her bed. She looked towards the door. Light flooded into her room, and as her eyes adjusted, they widened in shock as the form of the man from the park came into the room. Her head fell back on the pillows. "No."

He stepped into the room and smiled. "No, what?"

"You're not." Regina met his eyes, then dropped them as he held out a bouquet of wildflowers.

"Not what? Bringing you flowers? Well, I do believe that I am." He smiled, looking down at her.

She sat up a little. "Why?"

He tilted his head curiously at her. "Because I can?"

She shook her head. "How did you get in here?"

"Through the door." He gestured behind him.

Regina glared at him. "Are you always so infuriating?"

"Are you always so argumentative?" he countered, giving her a half smile that showed off those equally infuriating dimples.

"Do you make it a habit of hitting on pregnant women?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"As I am unfamiliar with the term, "hitting on," I'm going to say, no," he said, moving to sit beside her. "However, if you're meaning, do I make a point on checking up on stubborn, feisty, beautiful women whom I've been obliged to rescue, then yes, by all means."

She had to bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "I didn't catch your name?"

"Robin, Robin of Locksley." He held out his hand, and she looked down at it.

She slowly reached out. "The thief."

He took her hand in his, but didn't release it. "Well, since we're tossing labels around, aren't you technically known as the 'Evil Queen'?"

A thrill ran through her as he placed his other hand over hers, and she looked up. She glowered at him. "I prefer Regina."

His cocked his head to the side and studied her a moment before he nodded, releasing her hand, and his voice softened. "So, how are you?"

Regina had to look away at the intensity in his eyes. "We're both fine, thank you."

Robin smiled gently at her. "Yes, well, think nothing of it. I was only too happy to help."

Their gazes held for a heartbeat, and then she turned and looked out the window. After a moment, he sighed, "Well, I better let you get your rest."

Regina blinked back the sting of tears. Damn it, she wished she could successfully tamp down her emotions and control these uncharacteristic episodes of vulnerability. To cover her lapse, she gave him a soft smile, looked down at the flowers, and said quietly, "Thank you, again, for bringing me here and for the flowers."

"You're most welcome, Regina." He squeezed her hand one final time and then reluctantly got up and headed for the door.

Her breath caught as he turned back to her, his gaze meeting hers before saying, "Sleep well."