A/N: I just realized I didn't post this next chapter! Stupid elections. Okay, here you go. Only one more to go after this.
Into the Light
The magical tree was turning out to be the perfect hideaway. Robin and Regina cuddled on the king sized bed, sheets newly changed by Tink. Regina was refreshed after a hot shower. Roland sat in his papa's lap as the three sweetly smiled and doted over Willow, sleeping in her mother's arms. Regina drew tiny circles on her daughter's little tummy with her index finger. She leaned her head on Robin's shoulder and deeply sighed. He kissed the top of her head and hugged Roland more tightly.
"Papa." Roland squirmed. "You're squishing me."
"Sorry, little man," Robin said, a grin spread about his face as he reveled at being a father and a husband. He glanced over to Regina. "Quite perfect. Don't you think, my lady?" The Outlaw wrapped his arm around his Queen and pulled her closer to him.
Tinker Bell walked back into the room again; she tiptoed over to their happy, little family, wary of waking the baby.
"Robin," Tink said. "Would you still like me to take Roland back to your camp?"
"With Zelena still out there?" Regina frowned at her husband. "You want him to stay in the woods?" She quirked her brow.
"He'll be safe with Tuck and the Merry Men. It's only temporary." Robin huffed. "Just until we can get back to the house. We're stronger in numbers, and the Merry Men are mighty," Robin paused in his speech before adding, "Especially now that they remember you're their Queen. Just a few hours ago when I went to check on Roland, Emery was telling me of how Friar Tuck has not forgotten how fiercely protective you are of our son. He still hasn't let go of what happened during that pesky missing year." Robin stared at her knowingly.
"Yes, well, as he shouldn't," she said, smugly.
Robin chuckled, kissed their boy on the top of his head, and lifted Roland off his lap and into Tink's arms.
"Be good for Lady Bell, my little outlaw," Robin told him.
"I will, Papa," he said, waving goodbye. "Love you, Regina."
"I love you, too, Roland."
Tinker Bell carried the little boy over to Regina's side of the bed. Roland leaned forward and placed his hands on Regina's cheeks before she brushed her nose lightly against his. As he moved back into Tinker Bell's embrace, she said, "Come on, buddy. Let's go see what the Merry Men are up to."
Robin came around to help Regina move off the bed. With Willow in her arms, she was amazed at how her life had played out. A long time ago, she told Peter Pan that she had no regrets. She'd slaughtered entire villages, sacrificed everything to seek revenge, and it all brought her Henry. She didn't have any regrets then, and she didn't have any now because all those choices she made ultimately brought her to Robin. Maybe it could've been sooner, maybe she could've walked into that tavern when she was still young and not yet tainted by dark magic. Meeting him sooner, however, would have meant she wouldn't have Henry, and Robin wouldn't have Roland. Robin's words echoed in her head, "Well, maybe things work out when they're supposed to. Maybe it's all about timing." Yes, she thought. They most certainly did.
"Well," Blue announced as she appeared in the room. Regina looked up as she laid Willow in the small crib set up next to the bed. "Someone was anxious to visit. I hope you don't mind."
Henry suddenly ran into the room. "Mom!"
"Henry!"
Henry ran into her arms, hugging his mother tightly. Pulling back he asked, "I was so worried about you!" Anxiously he looked around the room. "Was it a boy or a girl?"
Regina responded with a laugh. "You have a sister," she said, placing her palms against Henry's cheeks.
She was basking in the glow of her newly reunited family. In Regina's opinion, it couldn't get any better than this. "Thank you," Regina said, smiling at Blue.
Blue nodded at her. "The town is still quiet. Perhaps the Wicked Witch has realized she won't win in a fight against us after all?"
All eyes turned expectantly to the fairy.
"If only that were true," Robin said, coming to stand beside Regina.
The Blue Fairy continued, "However, I trust that she won't give up that easily. It's been a little too quiet around here for my liking."
"I agree." Henry met his mother's gaze. "You're all making it too easy."
"Sweetheart." Regina looked down at her son in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean, little sis," he replied, smiling through billowing green smoke, "is love is your weakness." The smoke disappeared and so did Henry, the Wicked Witch left in his place.
"No!" Regina shouted and reared back from Zelena like she'd been burned. Her older sister was too quick for her though and froze her in place, along with everyone else in the room.
Tinker Bell came running down the hall at Regina's cry; she'd just returned from dropping off Roland. Zelena magically knocked the green fairy against the wall, rendering her unconscious.
Zelena laughed happily. Her face came inches from Regina's. "You didn't think I'd give up that easily, did you? You forget, little sis, I never lose."
No one could speak. They could only watch as Zelena walked over to Willow's sleeping form. She picked her up and cradled the baby to her. Fear and rage bubbled up within Robin, but he couldn't move. He shook within his paralyzed body.
"Well, hello there, my darling," Zelena cooed to the infant. "What do you say you come with Auntie Zelena, and we change history together, hmm?" The red haired witch looked back at Regina. "Don't worry, little sis. I've decided to take you with us, so you can see what it's like to have everything ripped away from you."
Zelena laughed at the terror in Robin and Blue's eyes. Tink was still unconscious in a heap on the floor.
With that, the Wicked Witch, Regina, and the baby disappeared from the room, and Robin and Blue were released from the bind that froze them in place.
With a display of blind fury that would have made the Evil Queen proud, Robin flung the nearest vase at the wall shattering it. He reared toward the shocked fairy. "Get me the hell out of here!"
The room spun as a cloud of green smoke billowed around her. Regina looked frantically around. She attempted to move, but she was bound by magic, suspended against the back of a wall. Taking in her surroundings, she found herself alone in a barn. She then heard her sister's shrill voice and the wailing of her newborn daughter.
Regina tried to erase the shock from her face as the red-haired woman appeared in front of her. She tried to recall how she got her here but failed.
Regina's eyes widened in fear. Zelena had Willow. She scrambled to gather her thoughts. She was with Robin, Roland, and Willow on the bed, basking in the afterglow of birth. Tink took Roland to stay with the Merry Men. Then Blue brought Henry, and Henry…it wasn't Henry. It was Zelena.
"Please, try not to look so surprised." Zelena smiled at her pleasantly and then down at the baby in her arms. Willow's cheeks were splotched red from crying.
"She's a beautiful baby, sis." Zelena ran a finger down her nose, and Willow's cries increased. "Oh, a little hot-tempered, too, I see. Do you have a bit of your mommy in you?"
"You better hope to hell I don't get out of this," Regina's voice was quiet but deadly.
Zelena laughed. "Oh, calm down. I'm not going to hurt her. What the portal does to her on the other hand, that's what you have to worry about."
Frantically, Regina tried to recall any spell, any charm, any incantation that might break her free from Zelena's hold on her. She thought back over every grueling day she spent tutoring under Rumplestiltskin's strict rules, thought about all the months trying to call forth objects with dark magic, thought about the years it took for her to master elvish spell books and curses.
"Don't worry, sis, soon it will all be over for you, so don't let your concerns for your dear thief or your friends get to you. They won't remember any of this either once I'm through."
"You won't get away with this," Regina growled, her jaw set tight.
"Ordinarily I'd say you might be right, but under the circumstances..." Zelena pointed to Rumple as he walked in carrying a large wooden chest. "I have everything I need and everyone exactly where I want them."
Placing the chest on the ground, the Dark One lifted the lid and took out the hilt of David's sword, putting it in a bowl set around a carved casting circle.
It suddenly occurred to Regina that she was out of time.
They were all out of time.
Robin stormed into Snow's apartment not bothering to knock. "Where's Swan?"
David looked up in shock. "She's not here."
"Damn!" His look could have cut through the hilt of Excalibur. "David, I need your help. I have to find Swan. Zelena took them, and I fear I don't have much time."
"Hey, calm down," David told him. He didn't even need to ask who Zelena took. From one father to another, he knew that look in Robin's eyes. His family was in danger. Regina and the baby were in danger. He knew they'd been close in the Enchanted Forest, but he just didn't know how close.
And then, when they'd woken up here without their memories, David had been baffled by the fact that Regina had very obviously found someone in the Enchanted Forest. When Locksley and his Merry Men started helping out in Storybrooke, David had been one of the first to pair up with Robin on scouting excursions in the woods. They'd had plenty of time to talk, and on more than one occasion, Regina's name came up. The archer had confided in him, seeking guidance on the Queen and how he should proceed. David had told him the only thing he could, "have faith, and your heart will guide you."
He didn't know what was going on between Robin and Regina, but he had a clue. The fire, fury and fear in Robin's eyes were not that of a man protecting friends or the greater good. No. The emotions running wild in Robin's eyes were ones David knew all too well - they were emotions that belonged to a father.
Robin was protecting his family.
After the curse broke, Henry had run to their apartment, letting them all know Regina had gone into labor. Snow had placed her hand on David's arm and let Henry know it would be okay. Regina had told her about the magic tree, and for the first time, Snow hadn't told her secret. She hadn't even told Charming.
"Let me just get Mary Margaret, and we'll call the others."
Robin's eyes darted around the room. He couldn't wait, so instead, he thought better and decided to just leave. He would find them on his own.
"Where are you going?" David asked, reaching for his phone.
"That witch has my wife and daughter, where the bloody hell do you think I'm going? I'm going to get them back!"
"Your…what?" David stumbled and tripped over the words. "Wife?"
Oh, now this was simply too much. Robin was hard pressed to hide his annoyance. "Yes, my wife. Listen, mate, I'll tell you about it over a pint some time, but right now I need to find your daughter," Robin said pointing at David. "Regina told me she's the one that has to defeat the witch. She's the one I need to help me." He headed to the door again but was stopped by David's voice.
"You're going to get yourself killed if you go out there alone." David grabbed him by the arm. "Robin, think about this."
Robin glared at him."There's nothing to think about. She has Regina and Willow, and God knows what she's doing to them!"
"Willow?" David asked.
"Yes, are you not listening?" Robin shouted.
"What's going on here?" Snow emerged from upstairs. "What happened?"
"It's Zelena, she came back to the tree with the Blue Fairy, but she was disguised as Henry. She took them and…" He glanced at Snow. Shouting at everyone was not the answer. He took a calming breath and held his fist over his mouth. "I couldn't stop her."
"The Wicked Witch has my mom?" The door had been left open by Robin's abrupt entrance, and Henry stood in the doorway with a shocked look on his face, followed by Emma and Hook.
"She does, I'm sorry," Robin said shaking his head.
"We have to help her!" Henry said stepping into the room, approaching the adults imploringly.
Robin went to stand beside Emma. "Swan, you have light magic. You must help me, please," he begged.
"I can't," Emma whispered.
"What?" Robin asked confused.
"I've failed, I'm sorry." Emma shifted uneasily.
He shook his head. "No, they're still out there, we just have to go find them."
"You haven't failed just yet," Hook told Emma.
Snow nodded. "Hook's right, come on."
"No, wait," Emma muttered. "Zelena took my magic."
All eyes turned toward Emma. Everyone froze. The words stung.
"What?" Robin exclaimed.
"How did that happen?" Snow gasped.
"Doesn't matter how," Emma said, looking at the floor. "It just happened. So, we need to find another way to stop her."
"There is no other way." Snow shook her head.
Robin groaned and ran a hand over his face. He was going to be sick.
"That's not true." Henry looked around the room and found Robin's gaze. "Mom can do it."
"Sweetheart, I don't think Regina can defeat her," Snow said gently. "Glinda was pretty specific. Only the purveyor of the strongest light magic can defeat her."
"Zelena only beat her because she's been using dark magic against her," Henry protested
"But Henry, it's all she has." Snow put a hand on the young boy's shoulder.
"No, it's not," Henry was adamant.
"Henry's right, it's not," Emma said, looking around at them all. "When she kissed Henry that was true love's kiss. That's light magic."
"See? She just needs to believe in herself. She can do it. I know there's good in her." He looked to Robin once again.
"He's right, Regina can beat that witch," Robin said, confidently. "Back in the Enchanted Forest, I saw her use light magic. You don't know her like I do."
"I think we know her pretty well," Emma said.
"No, I'm sorry, but you don't. You see her as she once was. You don't see her for what she is. I know her, I know Regina. She can do this."
He thought of all the things he saw her do during the missing year. She'd saved not only his son's life but his as well.
"And what makes you think you know her so well, mate?" Hook said.
"I've spent much more time with her in the last year than any of you have in the last thirty. I know her. And, I was just explaining to David that I don't have time for this. I'll explain later. All you need to know is Regina can do this. I believe in her."
"She has to," Emma said, still shocked but agreed apprehensively.
"Let's go." Robin nodded.
Emma grabbed hold of Henry who started to follow Robin out. "No, Henry, you stay here."
"No, I have to help," Henry pressed. "That's my mom and my sister out there. I know you want to protect me, but I have to do this. I have to help her."
Robin found himself in a difficult position. He could not allow such a young life to be risked in order to stop the witch, especially not Henry, but he knew Regina. She needed support, she needed to know that they believed in her, but mostly, she needed to know that Henry believed her. So, he didn't protest.
The plan they had was fraught with difficulties. It was risky, incomplete, and the chances of it succeeding were slim. If they were to succeed, Regina would most likely be furious with Robin for allowing Henry to come along.
"Henry's right." Robin nodded at the boy. "Regina needs to know she can do this, and what better way than through her son? I say, let him come."
They hurried to the barn, worried that they weren't going to get there in time, worried that they were too late. The doors to the barn were open, Zelena standing in the middle of a wide circle.
Robin spotted his daughter in a basket on the ground along with Gold's brain, David's "courage," and Regina's heart. He looked up and found his wife's eyes. She looked up weakly as they approached.
Regina's eyes brightened as they locked with his, but that light was quickly replaced by something much darker. He'd seen that look before. She was downright pissed. Robin couldn't help but smirk. Oh, that poor witch, he thought.
Wordlessly, they all sprinted the remaining distance.
"It isn't over yet," David called out to Zelena.
"And who's gonna stop me?" Zelena gloated. "Certainly not the Savior."
"Go." Robin nodded to Henry as they rushed in the door, crossbow in hand. "Get to your mother."
"We got your back." Emma raised her gun at the ready.
"I've got her heart," Robin said raising his bow.
"Zelena, stop now," Snow shouted over the noise, her own bow in hand. "We're not gonna let you succeed."
"Rid me of those pests," Zelena called to the Dark One.
Rumple turned to Emma and Hook. "Get the dagger," he said through clenched teeth. "Then the Dark One will be on your side."
"It's easier said than done," Emma replied.
"Do as I say, or I will destroy you both." Rumple knocked them off their feet and tossed them against the wall. "I have no choice!"
"Come to save your mommy and little sister?" Zelena looked at Henry who was creeping toward where Regina was still suspended against the wall. "Oh, too bad. Not today." She said, shaking her head.
"Henry, get out of here," Regina shouted.
"Mom, it's you that has to defeat her!" Henry called back to Regina, looking up at her.
"I can't Henry." She tried not to wince as she struggled to get free. "I'm sorry."
"Yes, you can!" Henry assured her. "Once upon a time, you were a villain, Mom, but you've changed. You're a hero now, and defeating bad guys is what heroes do. I believe in you. Now, you need to believe, too!"
Henry looked up at her, and she saw the love and faith he had for her in his eyes. She then met Robin's gaze. He was now standing between her heart and Willow.
"I know you're a good mom! I know that you love me! You broke the curse! You can do it!" Henry shouted. "Believe!"
"I've heard enough!" Zelena cried, turning to glare at Henry. She called to her monkeys, "Beautiful one. If you will?"
David wielded his sword.
"Remember, these creatures are our friends," Robin warned and then took hold of Henry's jacket, pulling the young boy behind him.
"Don't worry. I'll use a gentle touch," David replied, feeling Snow behind him wielding her own bow.
Just then, Snow and David were knocked back, tossed to the side of the barn by Zelena's magic.
Hook and Emma were both now frantically trying to get to the dagger but were knocked back again. "Gold!" Emma shouted as Hook lay next to her now unconscious.
"Unfortunately, that's not an option for me," Rumple said.
Zelena turned back to Regina. "Only light magic can harm me, and you're as dark as they come," the redhead told her angrily. "It was your destiny to be this way, and it will also be your undoing!"
The last year of Regina's life flashed before her eyes. She thought back to each time she felt light, love, and warmth penetrate her dark heart. She thought of the first day her walls slowly began to fall and the moment she knew she'd fallen in love with Roland and Robin. She recalled the day she had told the outlaw she loved him and the moments that followed after until he uttered his declaration to her. She thought of the moment they conceived their daughter and the pixie dust that ultimately led her to her soul mate.
Destiny had never been one of those things that Regina had let dictate her decisions before. It was her choice to either go into the tavern or not. It had been her choice to allow love back into her life, and it would be her choice now to believe in the light that had slowly been growing within her.
"Don't tell me what I can be." Regina narrowed her eyes at Zelena.
"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it's who you are," Zelena yelled.
Regina gasped as she felt Robin take her heart back. With Henry by his side, he nodded to the boy, who reached down and gently picked up Willow.
"You're wrong, sis." Regina gasped. She could feel the new energy that built in her, the force of it nearly overwhelming her. Light erupted from her hands.
"What are you doing?" Zelena tightened her jaw to keep her mouth from hanging open.
Regina smiled up at Zelena. "Changing."
With her hands finally free, she released the magic holding her in place, dropping to her feet. Holding up her hands, she released the light, knocking the Wicked Witch back into a heap on the ground.
Dazed, Zelena cried in outrage, "What? How?!"
"I make my own destiny," Regina answered, then turned to Robin. "Robin, the baby. Is she okay?"
Robin, who had taken Willow from Henry, glanced down at their daughter. She was looking up at him, content and safe in her papa's strong arms. Willow yawned widely. Her eyes closed, falling into a peaceful sleep. He grinned down at her. "She's fine, love. She can handle anything." She smiled at Henry. "Just like her big brother."
"Sorry sis, but you won't be needing this anymore." Regina strode over to her sister, grabbed the pendant hanging from Zelena's neck. The Wicked Witch's magic draining from her as her pendant was ripped away. "You failed." Regina chuckled. "You're not going anywhere."
"I beg to differ." Using his magic, Rumple dragged Zelena from Regina's feet and across the floor to him. "I'm gonna make you pay for everything you've done to me."
"What are you waiting for?" Zelena shouted at him. "Just do it!"
"With pleasure." Rumple smiled.
"No! Enough," Regina interrupted with Rumple's dagger in hand, causing everyone to turn to look at her. She quickly answered the question in their collective expressions. "This ends now."
It was Rumple's turn to be shocked, as it was now Regina who controlled him. "After everything this witch has done you're gonna protect her?"
"Good magic stopped her, and good magic doesn't exact vengeance," Regina told him.
"She killed my son!" Rumple shouted. "She was going to let that portal kill your daughter!"
Regina swallowed. He was right, but somehow she knew this wasn't the way to end this. "How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?" she asked him.
"You can't be serious." Rumple gaped at the former Queen.
"I am," she nodded, looking down at Henry beside her. "Heroes don't kill."
Zelena sneered up at her sister from the ground. "So now you're a hero?"
Regina looked over at her family and then back at Zelena. "Today, I am."
Why, Regina?" Zelena asked bitterly from the inside of her jail cell hours later. "Why not just kill me and put me out of my misery?"
Regina sat in a chair beside the sheriff's desk and tilted her head to the side. "Because I know why you did what you did. We're much alike. Our mother ruined you, too. I know what it's like to not have the life you wanted, the life you feel you deserve."
"Oh, boo-hoo," Zelena mocked. "You got to be Queen. You know nothing. I saw it all. You had everything."
"Did I?" Regina shook her head sadly. Looking up from her lap, she studied the broken woman in front of her. She saw so much of her old self there. "So, you missed the part where I lost the love of my life."
Zelena stood her ground. "Mother did all that for you to achieve greatness."
Regina uncrossed and crossed her legs, thinking carefully about her next words. "Not long ago, I was a lot like you. I wanted to kill someone who wronged me, and I failed. Had I killed Snow White, I wouldn't be in this world." Regina thought over the curse, the years it bought her, and how much she had gained by simply opening herself up to light. "I wouldn't be with these people, and I wouldn't have my son, my husband, or my daughter. So, no, Zelena, I won't kill you. Instead, I'm gonna give you what I got. I'm gonna give you a second chance."
Zelena was silent a moment but then sharply said, "What if I don't want it?"
"Well, that would be a mistake, dear." Regina stood up, piercing her sister with a serious stare. "Take it. Use it. Evil isn't born. It's made, and so is good. If I were you, I'd consider creating a new destiny." Regina walked over to the cell bars. Her voice became deadly, "Because if you don't, I'll be right there to take your heart and crush it." Straightening up she reached into her pocket and pulled out Zelena's pendant. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should put this somewhere safe."
Regina stood in her vault staring at the large silver and emerald talisman that channeled Zelena's magic. She closed her eyes and sighed with relief. She'd finally won. Sure she had defeated Pan, that was true, but somehow this was different. This time, in defeating Zelena, she'd also been defeating her own inner demons. Looking at her sister in that jail cell had been like staring at a different version of herself. In Zelena's eyes, she saw the hollowness reflected that she had once felt.
Undoing Pan's curse, undoing her own curse, in order to save everyone in Storybrooke a year ago had ripped her away from Henry. It had stolen her heart and crippled her with grief, but it had also illuminated something that she hadn't previously realized was missing in her life. Regina's fingers lightly traced the skin over her heart. She reached in and gasped, pulling the beating organ out of her chest. She stared at it, following familiar lines and contours. It was still beaten and battered, but that's what it meant to be the most resilient. Her heart wasn't as dark as it used to be; it glowed a deep, vibrant red. Her mother had been wrong, Zelena had been wrong, and Regina, herself, had even been wrong once upon a time. She'd forgotten the most basic lesson that Daniel had taught her.
"Love. True love is magic, and, not just any magic, it's the most powerful magic of all."
How interesting it was that Glinda's prophecy had been about her, that Regina turned out to be the answer to "only the strongest purveyor of light magic can defeat Zelena."
It wasn't the "Savior" or her infuriatingly optimistic parents. No. It had been her all along, and Regina wondered if light magic had been what her body had naturally wanted to perform from the beginning. All those years she'd spent tutoring with Rumple, all the lessons he'd forced upon her, all the nights and days he'd punished her for not completing a spell accurately or for not completing it on the first try. The hearts he'd made her practice ripping out, the people she'd killed in order to become stronger, to seek vengeance.
Regina still didn't have any regrets, because her path had ultimately led her to her family. But, she was sorry, she was genuinely apologetic and understood that her actions had consequences that rippled out across her realm and bled into this one.
There had been a hole in her heart, and it took many years for her to realize she could fill it, on her own and with the help of others. She slowly allowed other people in, but it wasn't until an outlaw, an archer with a boyish grin and wit had charmed her. It wasn't until they'd taken turns rescuing the other and battling side-by-side that she'd fallen for him. Not quickly, most definitely not smoothly, but, regardless, she had fallen, and that space in her heart, that lonely, dark space was filled with light, color, and sunshine. It was filled with love. Love for Henry. Love for Robin. Love for Roland. And, now, love for Willow.
Today, Regina had everything she ever wanted. Today, she had victory, and it made her smile.
Regina made her way over to the bassinet and looked in. Her daughter's eyes were open, and her arms were flailing with one fist occasionally making its way to her mouth to be chewed on enthusiastically. Regina gazed lovingly at the small, pink bundle that owned her heart.
"Hello, baby girl." she smiled down at her daughter. "You didn't sleep very long, little one."
The baby started kicking her legs and thrashing her head, beginning to get fussy. Regina reached in and picked her up. Holding her close, she pulled the blanket back slightly and marveled at her perfect little hands, her little toes, her button nose, and rosy cheeks.
She leaned down and kissed Willow's silky bed of dark hair. She was completely overwhelmed by the baby's smell. It was the key that now locked this tiny creature into Regina's heart forever. She held her face close to the baby's head and inhaled.
The baby started to fuss. Regina lifted her up in her arms so her head was resting on her shoulder, and she started rocking gently, softly patting the baby's back. She returned to her bed and sat back against the pillows. Willow had already settled, snuggled in, and nuzzled at Regina's front.
"Can I hold her?" Henry asked, standing beside the door.
Regina smiled up at her son. "Of course." she patted the spot beside her on the bed.
Reaching the bed, he sat, and she handed him the wriggling bundle. Sitting back against the headboard, he took the baby gently in his arms. Looking down, he said, "Wow, she's so tiny."
Regina smiled at him.
"I'm proud of you, mom," Henry told her.
Tears filled her eyes, and she hugged him to her side. "Thank you, Henry." Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek and peered lovingly into his eyes. "Thank you for believing in me."
"I'll always believe in you, mom."
There was a light knock on the door, and they looked up to see Robin and Roland. "May we interrupt?" he asked smiling.
Regina smiled and winked at her husband. "The more the merrier."
Roland wiggled in Robin's arms. He put the small boy on the floor, and he ran over to the bed, crawling up into Regina's lap. Roland looked down at his sister and then up at Regina. "Can the baby play now?"
Regina laughed. "No, sweetheart. She's still a little too small to play."
Roland frowned.
"But, I can play with you." Henry smiled at him.
"Okay!" Roland stood up on the bed.
Robin took Willow from Henry, who then held his hand out to Roland, helping his new little brother jump down off the bed. "Come on kiddo. I think I still have some old toys we can play with."
Regina wanted to freeze time, to stay forever in this moment. As long as it stood like this, with them together as a family, nothing else mattered to her.
Robin took Henry's vacated place beside Regina in bed. "I think Roland is going to like having a big brother."
"Oh, I'm sure he already does." Regina grinned up at him. She leaned back beside him and sighed. "It's hard to believe that it's all over."
Robin looked down at Regina. Taking her hand, he threaded their fingers together and gave her hand a squeeze. "Speaking of…" As she looked up at him, his gaze fell from her eyes to her chest and then back up again. "How does it feel?"
Leaning in, she reached up and kissed him softly. As she pulled back, she answered, "Stronger than ever."