Warning: This will be repeated…probably until the end of the story. There will be mentions of Regina's rape throughout the upcoming chapters. Nothing as graphic as last chapter, but there will be discussions and mentions of it now that it's out in the open. Just a warning.

Chapter 19: One Day More

Regina's stomach woke her the next morning, though not from hunger as she would've expected after not really eating anything the day before. No, it was aching and churning in a familiar way. She pushed back the covers and raced to Robin's bathroom, falling to her knees as she emptied what little contents she had in her stomach into the toilet.

"Regina?" Robin's sleep-laden voice floated over her. It then took on a concerned tone. "Regina, my god, what's wrong?"

She felt her hair get pulled back and away from her neck as Robin began to rub her back until she finished. He then helped her lean against the tub, sitting next to her on the floor. She let her head fall against his shoulder, her eyes closing.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied. "I guess the stress just got to me."

He hummed. "Do you want to go back to bed or do you want me to get something to help settle your stomach?"

"Can we do both? Or do you have something about food in the bed?"

Robin chuckled. "Trust me. I am all for food in the bed. You climb back in and I'll get you some tea."

"Thank you," she said, letting him help her up.

She wobbled a bit and swayed when she took a few steps, her head spinning a bit. Robin frowned, holding her hand as she tried to walk. "Do you need a little more support? You seem…shaky."

"A little help would be nice," she admitted. When he wrapped his arm around her middle, she leaned heavily against him as he guided her back to the bed.

Regina climbed under the covers and sat against the headboard. Once she was situated, Robin gave her a small smile. "You rest. I'll go make you some tea."

She closed her eyes and sighed. Her stomach wasn't completely settled but she didn't think she would be sprinting to the toilet again. She probably needed something to eat—a good proper meal. If Emma, Robin or Will knew how little she had eaten yesterday, they would lecture her to kingdom come.

"Regina? Are you okay?" Roland's little voice reached her ears. Her eyes popped open and she found him standing in the doorway, clutching Teddy close.

"I just had a tummy ache. Your father is making me some tea," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Is something wrong, sweetheart?"

He climbed into the bed, lying down beside her. "I heard someone walking and then I saw Papa's light on. So I came here."

"I see we have company," Robin said, walking into the room carrying his travel mug. He handed it to her. "Here, so we don't have to worry too much about spills."

She smiled, talking a sip as she watched Robin climb back into bed. The hot liquid soothed her stomach and she took another sip, feeling much better. "Thank you for this, Robin."

"Of course. Now you, young man," Robin said, tickling his son. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"You woke me up!" Roland exclaimed in between giggles. Regina watched the scene, her heart feeling lighter as she watched father and son at play.

Robin grinned at her before looking down at Roland. "I think you should go back to bed and we can all get some more sleep."

"Can't I sleep in here with you and Regina? Please?" He clasped his hands around his Teddy and gave them his biggest puppy eyes.

"I don't mind," Regina said, setting down the mug on the nightstand Robin had set up on her side of the bed.

He nodded, looking down at Roland. "Okay, my boy. You can stay."

Roland cheered, scooting down until his head was resting on both their pillows. She and Robin did the same, curling around the boy. "Good night, Roland," she whispered.

"Good night, Regina," he whispered back, cuddling closer to her. She kissed his curls before letting sleep pull her under again.

Regina awoke a few hours later when her stomach churned again. She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth, repeating it a few times before reaching for her tea. It was still somewhat warm, soothing her stomach.

Beside her, Robin and Roland continued to sleep on. Father was curled around son, who was now clinging to his night shirt. The sight made Regina smile before it faltered. She pushed back the covers and slipped out of bed without waking either Locksley before padding out to the balcony attached to Robin's room.

With the retelling of what had happened a decade ago, Michael Tillman and his family now haunted her mind. As she stood on the balcony and a soft summer breeze toyed with her hair, she remembered the last time she saw Doria Tillman at an office party. The woman had glowed as she rested a hand on her large, rounded stomach and proudly told Regina she was having twins. Michael had beamed next to her, though he was a bit nervous about handling two babies at once. What had become of Doria and the babies with him in prison?

"Regina? Is something wrong?" Robin stepped out onto the balcony, disturbing her thoughts.

She shrugged. "Just thinking."

"About anything you feel like talking about?" He leaned against the railing next to her.

An idea struck her and she leaned closer to him. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course," he replied. "Anything."

"Can you have August look into Michael Tillman for me? I've always wanted to know what happened to him but have been too afraid to look. I guess I had this irrational fear that he would learn I was looking and come confront me." She glanced down at her hands, guilt churning inside her again.

He nodded. "I can do that. To give you peace of mind."

"Thank you," she replied, laying her hand on top of his. "How are you?"

"How am I? I'm not the one about to turn herself in for a crime she should not have been forced to commit in the first place and who just had to relive the most painful year of her life. Don't worry about me. Let's worry about you," he said, the pain back in his eyes.

She wondered if it would ever really go away or if he would blame himself until he started blaming her.

"Regina? Regina, what's wrong?" he asked. "You seemed to have gone far away for a moment."

"You need to talk about your feelings. Bottling them up isn't good. Trust me, I'm somewhat of an expert." She wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself. It wasn't much of a comfort.

He sighed. "I want to support you, Regina. And I don't want to burden you with my own issues."

"I've felt the same way," she replied. "And look where that got me. If you want to share my burdens, you have to let me share yours. Got it?"

Robin grew silent before looking out at the woods. "I guess…No, I am feeling guilty. Like I told you last night, this is technically all my fault. I sent August poking where I had no right to and it awakened Gold."

"You make him sound like the Kraken. He's not that bad," she said, sliding closer to him. "Look, there are many bad guys in this whole situation. None of them are on this balcony."

He let out a little laugh before glancing at her, a soft look in his eyes. "May I hug you?"

"Yes, please." She nearly fell into his arms, wrapping her own around him. Regina laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Come on," he said, rocking her gently. "Let's go see if Will's started breakfast. I'm sure you're starving."

Regina pulled away, nodding. "You know what? I am."

"Thought so. Did you eat anything substantial yesterday?"

"Lunch?" she admitted, grimacing.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, shaking his head. "That won't do. Let's go get Roland and feed you."

Robin sat in his office, staring at his computer screen. He had dropped Regina off at the First Bank of Storybrooke, where John had met her to retrieve the evidence she had in her safety deposit box. She seemed a bit more upbeat and Robin believed she had hope again. It was a relief.

When he got in, Robin had first called August and talked to him about Regina's request. August had hesitated for a few moments. "And you're sure Regina's on board with this?"

"Yes," Robin said, understanding his concern. "She asked for this favor herself. We'll figure out how to code this for payroll later."

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't making the same mistake twice." August stood, giving him a knowing look.

Robin nodded. "Thank you, but I've definitely learned my lesson. I'm not risking my relationship with Regina ever again."

"Well, I'll get to work and let you know what I find." He left Robin's office.

Next, Robin focused on the whole Zelena matter. He called Mulan for an update. "She's been released on bail," she told him. "Her father paid it, I believe. But she does have an ankle monitor, so she's not going anywhere."

"Good. I know Chester Ozgreene has some houses abroad. I'd hate for her to disappear somewhere that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the States," Robin said, sighing. "How are the staff?"

"Shaken up. No one expected someone to actually be stealing from the company, but most of them didn't really like Zelena much anyway. I think this change is going to be good for morale out here."

Robin rubbed his forehead. "Good. But maybe this is a wakeup call. We can't keep ignoring the West Coast division."

"Yeah. We'll have to work out a schedule so we have a stronger presence out here," Mulan agreed. "Anyway, I have to run. Good luck with Regina."

He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, her story once again playing through his head. It made him want to throw up and then go fly to wherever Leopold had retired to in order to beat him to a bloody pulp.

Retirement. The word jolted his memory, reminding him of something Mary Margaret had said at his birthday party. He opened his web browser and began to do some research, believing he might find some additional clues that could help John defend Regina.

The bell over the door announced his arrival to Granny's Diner, the establishment across the street from Henry's apartment that held such fond memories for Regina. Robin stood there for a moment, taking in the vintage booths and tables as well as the counter where several patrons enjoyed their lunch. Waiters and waitresses in white and red checkered outfits tended to the patrons. It seemed like something out of a movie.

Regina waved from one of the booths by the windows, where she sat with John. He walked over to the booth, sliding in next to her. "Hello there," he said, greeting her with a quick kiss.

"What do you think of the place?" she asked, looking like she was showing off her apartment rather than her favorite diner.

He grinned. "It looks great. But I think I need to try the food before I pass judgment on it. What do you recommend?"

"Regina has always had the same thing since was a little girl—a BLT with cheese," an older woman with gray curls and gold glasses said, approaching the table. She held out her hand. "I'm Granny."

Robin shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. Regina's told me so much about you and your diner. All good things, of course."

"Of course." Granny smiled at Regina. "Will it be the BLT with cheese, dear?"

"BLT, yes. Cheese, no. It's not very appealing right now for some reason," Regina said, looking a bit green. She pressed her hand against her stomach.

Robin frowned as did Granny. "Do you need me to bring you something for your tummy? A ginger ale, perhaps?"

"A ginger ale sounds wonderful," she replied with a sigh.

"I'll have one too," Robin said, handing the menu to Granny. "And a burger. Medium well, please."

John handed his menu to the older woman. "I'll follow Regina's lead. BLT, no cheese, and a Coke."

Granny nodded. "I'll go put those in and get you your drinks."

Once she was gone, Robin took Regina's hand in his. "How did the visit to the bank go?"

"It went well. Everything was still in my safety deposit box and I was able to give it to John," she said, glancing at him.

He nodded. "I sent it back with an associate. They'll start going through her books and emails, but I left the recordings for myself. No one else has to hear that yet."

"Thank you," she whispered, lacing her fingers with Robin's.

Robin raised their joined hands to kiss hers before lowering his voice. "I did some research of my own. There had been something that Mary Margaret had said to me at my party that came back to puzzle me. Regina, you said that Gold had planned to retire about two years after everything with the embezzlement?"

"That was the plan, yes," she said.

"Did Leo ever talk about retiring?"

She nodded. "He wanted to wait for Mary Margaret to graduate before he retired. She had about two years left, but he wouldn't have wanted to leave at the same time as Gold. He probably would've waited another year."

"And when did they fire you?"

Though Regina narrowed her eyes, she answered: "October. Why?"

"Leopold retired only a couple months later, right before the New Year," Robin said, not wanting to annoy her with anymore cryptic questions. "Mary Margaret told me that the board forced him to retire. She thought it was because of the supposed affair."

She frowned. "You don't think it was?"

"If it was, why would Gold retire only a couple months later?" he asked.

Regina cursed as she shook her head. "The board still figured out Leopold and Gold were involved with the embezzlement. But with me being fired, they let them retire quietly."

He nodded. "Embezzlement is pursued by the company, so that means Gold and maybe Leopold convinced the current executives to press charges for a ten years old crime they probably know was covered up. How did they manage that?"

"Is Nathaniel Cole still the main stakeholder?" Regina asked. He could see the wheels turning in her mind.

John nodded. "He is. You know him?"

"Nat Cole is an old friend of Leopold's. He'll do anything to protect him. Even found me one day after I was fired to threaten me even more against talking about what happened. I thought it was about my supposed affair but looking back, he may have known about the rapes and was trying to keep my mouth shut about them in case the NDA hadn't scared me properly." She scowled and Robin knew she still felt ashamed that she had let the document control her life for so long.

"So he'd agree to go along with this if he thinks you'll be a threat to Leopold?" John asked.

"He probably thinks Leopold is innocent and that I was the evil bitch who masterminded it all and tried to sully his friend's good name." She sighed, toying with her lip before asking: "Who is the CEO now? I didn't really care to keep up with information like that."

Robin took out his phone and pulled up the page he hadn't swiped away. "Isaac Heller."

"Of course," she said, shaking her head. "He'll definitely do whatever Gold wants. Whenever Gold told me to jump, Heller would ask him how high. He wanted to be the golden child and resented me for being Gold's heir apparent. If only he knew what that meant…Who am I kidding? He probably would've done it, no questions asked."

"So we have two people who have agreed to do something Gold wanted without possibly considering the ramifications for the company. Did they not think you would defend yourself?" John asked, tapping his fingers against the table.

She shook her head. "Probably not. They probably thought I'd get some poor overworked soul from legal aid who would just encourage me to take a plea deal. Or maybe they thought the NDA was binding at the judge would throw the book at me without probing further. Once again, I'm a supposed evil bitch."

Robin's brows furrowed. That was the second time she repeated that phrase. It couldn't be a coincidence. She was quoting something. "Did Nat Cole call you that?"

"Multiple times," she replied. "I almost started to believe him."

"Well, this is going to backfire on them. They've just opened a can of worms they probably didn't want to," John said, nodding as he jotted something down on his phone. "Blanchard Financials is probably going to have to answer some very uncomfortable questions."

"They're also going to have a PR nightmare on their hands as well if it comes out that several high ranking executives knew that Regina was being made a scapegoat and that they covered up everything Leopold did to her," Robin mused, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand in soothing circles.

John grinned. "Oh, I get more and more confident about this with each passing second. You're going to be fine, Regina."

"I'm starting to really believe that," she replied, giving Robin a small grin. It made his heart skip a beat and he started to feel a bit lighter himself.

After lunch, John headed back to his office to go through everything Regina had given him. She went across the street with Robin to check her father's mail and to water the few plants they had in the apartment.

"I think I'll change here and then head to the hospital," she said, tossing out a few pieces of spam mail. "You can head back to your office. I know you have a lot to worry about on top of everything going on with me."

"Everything is fine there, Regina. The authorities out in Cali are dealing with Zelena. So I'm all yours for the rest of the day," he assured her, sitting on her couch.

Regina bit her lip as a troubling thought popped into her mind at the mention of Zelena. "Robin, what are they going to say when you stand by me as I'm charged with the same thing Zelena is being prosecuted for?"

"Your situation and hers are completely different," he replied. "But we'll let my PR team handle that. It's why I have them. You focus on your trial and I'll focus on you."

She sighed, smiling. "I'll be quick. I want to spend as much time with my father as possible."

He nodded, standing to approach her. "But don't run yourself ragged, lovely. I don't want you to end up in the hospital bed next to him due to exhaustion."

"I guess I could use with a bit of a nap," she replied, feeling fatigued. Even her bones felt heavier. "Care to join me? Keep away the nightmares?"

"My superpower is always at your disposal, love." Robin took her hand and let her lead him to her bedroom.

She opened the door and let him study it. The room was a strange mixture of her and Emma, still painted the lavender color she had insisted on in high school and with posters she had hung up then on the wall. Over the years, she and Emma had also taped up pictures of themselves and their friends. Emma also had brought some of her belongs into the room—from the black arm chair she had purchased in college down to her baby blanket, her only connection to her parents. She had also hung a dreamcatcher over Regina's bed, purchased somewhere on her travels, and her clothes were scattered around the room.

After smiling at the dollhouse Regina kept in the corner, Robin then studied the movie posters she had hung up and he raised his eyebrow at one. "I wouldn't have taken you for a Titanic fan," he said, motioning to that poster.

"Everyone was a Titanic fan, even you. Admit it," she teased him.

He grabbed her hand. "I'll never let go, Rose. Except when I freeze to death because you won't move an inch over so I can get on, seriously we both can fit…"

Regina pushed him down on the bed, rolling her eyes though she smiled. He pulled her down with him and they laughed until tears rolled down their cheeks.

"There it is," he said, brushing some of her tears away to cup her cheek. "There's that satisfying but elusive smile I think about every time I close my eyes. I love this smile."

"You do?" She leaned into his warm hand with a soft sigh.

He nodded. "This one lights up your whole face, including your eyes, and makes you even more beautiful."

Regina kissed his palm as she took his hand off her cheek. "Do you want me to see if there's something you can sleep in? I doubt you want to wrinkle your suit."

"If you have something or if it would bother you if I just slept in my boxers," he said, shrugging.

"No," she replied, touched at how considerate he was being. "You can sleep in your boxers. I'm going to put on pajamas though."

"Whatever makes you comfortable. I'll even go change in the bathroom…once you point me to it." Robin stood and headed toward the door.

Regina joined him, pointing to a door diagonal to hers. "Right there. Ignore the light fixture, it buzzes. We can never get the super to fix it."

He frowned. "That's not right. I can send someone to see to it."

"You've never dealt with apartments before have you?" she teased. "Don't worry about it."

When he opened his mouth to no doubt insist on hiring someone to fix it for her, she pushed him toward the bathroom. "Just go change, okay?"

Robin closed the door behind him and she turned to her chest of drawers, pulling out a pair of pajamas. She didn't care if they were hers or Emma's as they had shared clothing so many times in the past, it was hard to keep track of whose was really whose.

As she pulled off her clothes and started to put on the pajamas, Robin consumed her thoughts. She had always been afraid that revealing what Leo had really done to her would chase people away—not because they were repulsed but because they wouldn't know how to respond to her afterwards. While she sensed some hesitancy in Robin, she didn't know if it was because of what she had told him or because of his lingering guilt over his role in what was going on now. Regina suspected it was a combination of the two but she also believed he was as determined as she was to make their relationship work. That in and of itself was reassuring to her.

She knew being in a relationship with her couldn't be easy. Life had long ago proven that when it rained, it poured on her. For years, she had then pushed people away to stand in the deluge by herself so as not to be a bother to anyone. Most people had let her. But Robin had fought her, refusing to leave and holding an umbrella over her. It had then allowed her to see that Emma and Will were also right behind him with umbrellas of their own. Dr. Espenson had been right—she needed to let people help her and not deal with everything alone.

"Seriously, Regina," Robin said, laying his clothes over Emma's tattered old armchair. "If you want that buzzing to stop, just say the word. Someone can be here today to fix it."

Laughing, Regina wrapped her arms around his neck. "All I want is for you to hold me while I take a half hour nap."

"An hour," Robin amended. When she started to protest, he shook his head. "You can allow yourself sixty minutes to rest and recharge, Regina."

The fatigue weighing down her limbs agreed. "Okay," she replied. "One hour."

She released him so they could climb into bed. As she arranged the blankets around them, Robin set the alarm on his phone. "There. One hour."

He set his phone down on her nightstand as she curled next to him. Regina rested her head in the crook of his neck and placed one of her hands over his heart. As he rubbed soothing circles against her back, she felt herself drift off into what she was sure would be a rejuvenating rest.

Regina gripped Robin's hand tighter as they entered the hospital, the smell of sterilization assaulting them. He didn't care much for hospitals and could only imagine how much Regina hated the place after spending so much time there.

They boarded an elevator and Regina looked at him once the doors closed. "My father knows most of what happened at Blanchard Financials. But I don't want him to know about what Leo really did to me. It might kill him," she said, voice cracking.

"I won't breathe a word," Robin vowed.

She grew more upset though, a few tears escaping down her cheek. "I worry that if this whole thing continues, I might have to tell the world about the rapes and then he'll find out."

"I'm sure John can keep that quiet if you want," he replied as the doors opened. He placed his hand on Regina's lower back as they headed toward Henry's room.

"I know. But then I wonder if I should keep it quiet. That maybe my story might help someone else." She bit her lower lip.

He stopped them feet away from Henry's room, turning her to face him and placing his hands on her shoulders. "If you want to help others, I'll stand by your side. But I don't want you to feel like you have to do this. If you feel you can't, we can work to protect your privacy and you can disappear at Nottingham until everything dies down."

She smiled, taking his hands from her shoulders to lace their fingers together. "Good to know I have options. I have a lot of tough decisions to make in the coming days."

"I'm right here," Robin assured her. "You can always come talk to me."

"Thank you." She rose on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss before tugging his hand so they resumed their trek to her father's room.

His brow furrowed. "These are private rooms."

"Yes," she replied before frowning. "I thought you were paying for it."

"No, I was so focused on you when I arrived that I didn't have time to see to Henry's arrangements."

Regina sighed. "It must be Jefferson then. He's still paying for Daddy's treatments, after all."

"That does sound like him," Robin mused, before motioning for her to lead the way into the room.

Henry laid in the middle of the bed, pale and small amongst the blankets. He was hooked up to several machines and tubes ran into his arm. Oxygen flowed through a tube hooked up to Henry's nose and Robin's heart plummeted into his stomach. The last thing Regina needed now was to lose her beloved father and he didn't look too good.

Robin also didn't want to consider losing the man who had come to mean so much to himself and Roland either.

Emma sat up from the chair she was curled up on, pushing aside the blanket she had wrapped around herself. "Everything go okay?" she asked.

"Yes," Regina said. "How was everything here?"

"Whale stopped by with the oncologist and some doctors from the trial. They spoke in hushed tones before the other doctors left. Whale stayed behind to fill me in." Emma stood, cracking her back. "Oh, I think I need a walk and something to eat."

Robin gave Regina a gentle push. "Why don't you go with her? You two can talk in something more than hushed whispers. I'll stay with Henry."

She nodded, kissing his cheek. "Thank you."

As she and Emma left, Robin eased himself into the chair Emma had abandoned. He leaned back and was reaching for the remote when he heard: "They gone?"

Robin paused, glancing over at Henry. His eyes were still closed but there was a change in his breathing. So Robin replied: "Yes, they are."

"Good." Henry opened his eyes, fixing them on Robin. "I want to have a little chat with you. My daughter came home last week and promptly locked herself in her room. She and Emma tried to hide it from me, but I know she was upset and I strongly suspect it had something to do with you because she came home."

"It was," he replied, hanging his head as he admitted to the man everything he had done. It was almost as bad as when he finally confessed to Roland that he had hurt Regina and that's why she had been staying away from them.

Henry frowned. "So you're partially responsible for why my ex-wife has been hanging around too?"

"I'm mostly responsible," Robin said. "I did also just have her stepdaughter arrested and she's not happy about that."

"Is she behind Gold pressing charges against my daughter?" At Robin's surprised look, Henry motioned to the TV. "It was on the news. I pretended to be asleep so Emma didn't change the channel on me."

Robin sighed, nodding as he filed that tidbit away for later. "She had hoped to blackmail Regina but she refused to comply. Not that it would've worked. Cora thought she was smarter than the police and it was just not true. Zelena was going to be found out anyway."

"Yet Cora blames Regina. What does Gold get out of this?"

"I wish I knew," Robin replied.

Henry nodded, eyeing Robin. "You're here, though."

"Yes. She's forgiven me and I am doing everything I can to support her." He glanced at the door as if Regina would walk in at any moment. "I'm not going to lose her again. She's too special."

"Well, it looks like I don't have to sic Emma on you just yet." Henry reached for Robin and he took the man's hand. "Do you remember the promise you made back before Christmas?"

Robin nodded as his stomach clenched. "I will continue to take care of Regina, I promise. But don't you quit on us. Not yet."

"I'll try. But I'm not getting out soon. You need to make sure Regina doesn't run herself ragged worrying about me and this trial. Take care…" Henry's words were garbled as he was racked by a coughing spasm. Robin leaned forward, trying to help the older man sit up as nurses rushed into the room to assist.

Once the spasm passed, Robin took Henry's hand again. "I promise to take care of Regina. I don't want anything more to happen to her either," he vowed.

Henry nodded before closing his eyes again, getting some rest as Emma and Regina returned to sit with him. Robin yielded his seat to Regina and she reached out, taking his hand to keep him close to her. So he leaned against the window ledge, giving her silent support as they continued to watch Henry sleep.

Marco drove the three of them home from the hospital that night. Regina was quiet as she leaned against but her mind was loud. Her father's pale form and Whale's diagnosis of double pneumonia scared her. The treatments had eradicated her father's immune system and even though Whale promised to put him on an aggressive medicine regime, she feared it would be too much for her father. And on top of that, she had to turn herself in the next day. Though going to sleep would hasten that appointment, Regina still wanted nothing more than to climb into Robin's bed and drift off in his arms, forgetting about everything for a few hours.

Once they got into the house, Emma went straight to bed. She passed Will on the stairs, bidding him a good night. He hit the landing and stopped, giving Robin and Regina a sad look. "Roland is asking for you. I tried to keep him away from the TV all day but I think he heard about Regina anyway."

Her stomach turned at the thought but she knew what she had to do. "Where's Roland now?"

"Upstairs in his room, waiting for you," Will replied, motioning toward the stairs.

She turned to Robin. "You'll come with me?"

"Of course," he said, taking her hand. "He's my son. I should be there to help explain what's going on."

They headed to Roland's room, finding the boy playing with his Legos when they got there. He looked up, smiling when he saw them. Standing, he ran toward them with open arms. "Papa! Regina!"

"Hey there, my boy." Robin scooped up Roland, holding him close. Regina stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek as he giggled.

Roland then grew serious as he studied her. "They were talking about you on the TV. They said you did something wrong."

Sighing, Robin motioned for them to sit on the bed. He placed Roland on his lap as Regina sat close to them. Robin rubbed his son's back as he started to explain: "Before Regina went to nanny school to be the best nanny ever, she used to work with money. Her bosses made her do something wrong and now they are trying to punish her for it."

"Will she have to go to jail?" he asked, bottom lip quivering.

"Your Uncle John is going to do his best to keep me out of prison," she said. "But I may have to spend some time in jail. If I do, I'm going to need you to be a good boy for Papa, Will and Miss Blanchard. Can you do that for me?"

Roland wrapped his arms around her neck, his tears soaking her shirt. "I will but I don't want you to go away."

"We're going to do our best to prove who the real bad guys are and make sure Regina stays with us," Robin replied, rubbing Roland's back again.

"Promise?" he asked, voice cracking from his tears.

She nodded, kissing his curls. "I promise, sweetheart."

"Can you put me to bed?" he asked, sniffling as he pulled away from her shoulder. Regina reached over and grabbed a tissue, wiping his face as she told him she would love to get him ready for bed.

Robin started to protest. "It's Wednesday, meaning it's technically your day off. Why don't you go take a bath yourself? I can put him to bed."

"I can do it," she replied, holding Roland closer. "It's not a task or a chore. It's something I want to do because I love him."

He gave her a small smile, eyes now a warm blue color radiating with love, and he leaned in for a quick kiss. "Okay. I'll go draw you a bath anyway and it'll be waiting for you once Roland's in bed."

Robin kissed his son goodnight and slipped out of the room. Once Regina finished drying Roland's tears, she brought him to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Next came his pajamas and soon he was tucked into bed with Teddy and Sparky by his side.

"Do you want a fairy tale?" she asked him, pulling out one of the books she had gotten him for Christmas.

He shook his head. "Can you sing me a lullaby, please?"

She smiled, putting the book back and nodded. "Okay, sweetheart. One lullaby, just for you."

With Roland sound asleep, Regina closed his bedroom door behind her as she stepped out into the hall.

"You have a beautiful singing voice," Robin said from where he was leaning against the wall. He grinned at her, eyes sparkling. "You should sing more often."

"Where?"

He shrugged. "Around the house, I guess. It would just be really nice to hear."

"Would you be interested in doing a duet?" she asked, leaning closer to him.

"I might be." He winked at her before taking her hand. "Come on, your bath is all nice and warm. And you should get plenty of rest. You have a big day tomorrow."

She groaned. "Don't remind me."

Robin stopped outside his bedroom door, pulling her close for a hug. "It's going to be okay, Regina. You'll see."

Wrapped in his arms, she really believed it everything was going to be fine. She had nothing to fear.

A/N: I want to thank everyone who left me a supportive review on my last chapter. As I said, I had been terrified to post that chapter and every kind word I received touched me. I almost came to tears a few times, to be honest. I know it wasn't easiest chapter to read and the subject matter was disturbing. Yet it's not something we can ignore or pretend doesn't happen, however unnatural and wrong such a violent act is.

Regina's defense is building momentum. Blanchard Financials is going to regret agreeing to press the charges. And why did Gold do so? What was in it for him? He was enjoying a quiet retirement and surely this will raise questions he doesn't want answered, right? We'll find out more about his motives in the coming chapters.

Next chapter, Regina turns herself in and faces a judge. Find out what happens.

-Mac