Chapter 20: Balancing the Scales
The limo pulled up to the back of the precinct, next to the courtyard that separated it from Storybrooke's courthouse. "I got them to agree to this given how much media attention this is getting despite it being a ten years old embezzlement case," John explained.
"What happens now?" Regina asked, hand-in-hand with Robin.
John smiled at her. "You'll go in and they'll book you—take your fingerprints, your pictures, some basic information. Then you'll be taken to the courthouse for your arraignment. I'll figure out our next steps from there."
She nodded, glancing out the window again. Robin squeezed her hand, drawing her attention to him. His blue eyes shone with love and he smiled at her. "You'll be fine. And I'll be sitting right there in the courtroom."
"Me too!" Will called from the driver's seat. "Tuck's watching Roland until Dr. Hopper comes. For some reason, I couldn't reach Mary Margaret."
"That's probably for the best right now," Robin said softly, glancing at her.
Regina shook her head. "I've never blamed Mary Margaret for her father's sins. I'm not going to start now. She's an innocent in this."
"I'll yield to your feelings," he said, "but you just say the word and I can keep you and Mary Margaret apart."
Gratitude overwhelmed her before she felt guilty. She didn't want to be the reason Roland lost his beloved tutor. Mary Margaret was good for him and clearly cared about the boy. Regina hoped her gut feeling that she would be fine around the young woman was right.
John peered out the window and nodded. "There's the lieutenant. Time to go surrender yourself, Regina."
Robin leaned forward, giving her a kiss. "Good luck. I'll see you at court."
She nodded, letting John help her out of the limo. An older man greeted them, his gray eyes and smile kind. He wore a suit rather than a uniform, so she figured he was a senior officer in the precinct. "It's a zoo out front. You'll be safe here, though. I have people making sure they can't get back here now or when we take you to the courthouse."
"Thank you," she said softly, following him into the precinct. Like most government buildings, it smelled of extra potent, industrial strength cleaners. It made her stomach turn.
"I hope I'm not stretching your hospitality, lieutenant, but my client hasn't been feeling well lately. You might want to keep at least a trash can nearby," John said, no doubt noticing how green she had gotten.
"Of course," the lieutenant said. "Detective Humbert will make sure Miss Mills has everything she needs while we book her."
A brown-haired man close in age to her and Robin stepped forward. He wore a blue-striped shirt under a brown vest, which matched his suit pants. His sleeves were rolled up and his badge and gun were attached to his belt.
"Detective Graham Humbert," he said, shaking her hand. "I'm assigned to White Collar crimes, so I also worked with Mr. Locksley."
Regina smiled. "I know Robin is very grateful to finally know who stole the money."
Graham nodded before motioning for her to follow him. "I'll try to make this as easy and as painless as possible."
"I'm getting special treatment, aren't I?" she asked, following him down the hall.
He paused outside a room, considering his answer. "Yes and no. White collar criminals are usually handled a bit differently than your other criminals. But ADA Pendragon also asked us to expedite your booking, so you are getting special treatment in that regard."
"Oh," she replied, following him into the room. On one wall was the height chart she had seen in so many crime dramas. There was also a table set up with an ink pad and a sheet for her finger prints. A laptop was also set up there, though she wasn't sure why.
Graham expertly took her fingerprints as well as her mugshot. He also entered her information into the Storybrooke Police Department's database, checking for any outstanding warrants or tickets. While she waited for it come back with no results, Regina noticed she was never far from a trash can and felt a surge of gratitude.
Once again, she had woken up early in order to throw up. Robin had knelt by her side, rubbing her back and then making her tea to soothe her stomach. She had insisted it was stress, even as she threw up two more times before leaving the house. Breakfast—omelets, usually her favorite—had turned her stomach and there had been a funky odor she couldn't place making her nausea that much worse.
All in all, it hadn't been a good day so far.
But her stomach was calm now despite her nerves as Graham declared the search had yielded no results. "I'm going to return you to your lawyer and then we'll get you over to court for your arraignment," he said, giving her a smile.
He led her into the squad room, where the others either sat at desk working their own cases or talking amongst themselves. Some, like Graham, wore suits or regular dress clothes while other were in their navy blue uniforms. A few of them were clustered around the coffee machine as they swapped stories about their beats. It wasn't noisy but the low-level hum in the room still pierced her head and threatened to give her a headache.
John stepped out of the lieutenant's office, a separate room from the rest of the bullpen. He hurried over to her. "Are you okay?"
"Just have a headache," she muttered. "Can we get this over with?"
The lieutenant stepped out of the office. "Nolan! You said you wanted to help with this?" he barked.
Regina glanced up to see David striding across the bullpen. He smiled at her. "Mary Margaret would have my hide if I didn't take care of you," he said. "She still cares about you deeply."
"I still care about her," she replied. "I heard she's gone out of state."
He nodded. "She said she had to go away for a few days. I think it had something to do with her old college friend, Ariel. They are still close and sometimes Mary Margaret has gone to visit her without much advance notice. She told me she's fine and she'll be back after the holiday weekend."
"We need to head over, Nolan," Graham said. "Pendragon is waiting for her. And he's quite eager to get her in front of the judge."
Regina swallowed as David squeezed her shoulder. "You'll be fine. Just let your lawyer handle everything."
"Wise words," John added, taking her arm. "All you have to say is 'not guilty.' Got it?"
"Not guilty," she repeated.
The small group left the precinct and crossed the empty courtyard that separated it from the courthouse. Regina looked up at the imposing stone structure, which wasn't as elaborately designed as the front with its Ionic columns and its elegant carving of some quote about the law. It just looked like a regular building from where she was.
One of the court officers opened the back entrance to the courthouse for them. She and John were then patted down since they were not going through the metal detectors at the front of the courthouse. When they were declared clean, the lieutenant nodded. "I'm going to leave you here. Humbert and Nolan will escort you the rest of the way. There won't be cameras in the hallway but there might be one in the courtroom, depending on the judge's mood."
"There probably won't be one," Graham said once the lieutenant left. "The reporters will have to rely on their pens and pads of paper."
Regina nodded as Graham stopped outside one door. A long wooden bench rested against the wall next to it. He motioned for her to sit down. "The court officer will come get you when your docket is up. Good luck."
Graham walked away but David stayed with her and John. "I'll be here until they call you in. Don't worry."
"Thank you," Regina said as her stomach churned. She pressed her hand to it. "But could you get me a trash can please? I think I'm going to be sick."
"Mr. Locksley! Mr. Locksley, where's Miss Mills?"
"Mr. Locksley, why are you supporting Miss Mills when your own company was affected by an embezzlement scheme?"
Will pushed them through the throng of reporters as he propelled Robin up the stairs. Robin kept his head down and made no comments. He knew he would have to make a statement eventually but now was not the time. His PR team would handle it soon enough.
One reporter, a tall and thin African-American man in a knockoff designer suit, was incredibly persistent. He raced after Robin and Will as they approached the front door. "Mr. Locksley! Even knowing Miss Mills' well-documented greed, why would you date her?"
That had done it, though. His PR team could yell at him later for Robin was not going to let that go unanswered. Spinning on his heels, he advanced on the reporter. "Regina's well-documented greed is a pack of lies pushed by scandal peddlers such as yourself, Mr. Glass. You have made your career tearing good people like her down without bothering to find out the truth."
Glass looked taken aback but fired back quickly. "And what exactly is the truth?"
"It will be revealed in good time," Robin replied. "When it is, you all will be apologizing to her. Good day."
He stalked back to the courtroom entrance, walking through the door Will held open without looking back. Robin didn't really stop until he got to the metal detectors. Will followed close behind and then dragged his friend off to an empty corner. "You need to keep your cool, mate," he said.
"I know. I know." Robin ran his hand through his hair. "But to hear him call Regina greedy…I just wanted to hit him."
"Locksley! I have a bone to pick with you!" a familiar male voice called out. Robin looked up to see Jefferson Hatter striding across the lobby, his dark hair gelled back and his suit impeccable. He was glaring as he approached Robin. "I leave you Regina and within a year she's indicted for embezzlement? What the fuck, man?"
As Will backed away, Robin sighed. "I fucked up."
"Apparently," Jefferson replied. "Tell me everything."
The entire story spilled out and when Robin was done, Jefferson was shaking his head. "You're lucky she took you back."
"I know."
Jefferson breathed out. "So how bad is it for her?"
"Well, that depends," a man said, approaching the two. Though his long hair had gotten grayer, Robin recognized Edgar Gold and grew defensive.
"What do you want?" he snapped.
Gold smiled. "I think we can strike a little deal to make this whole matter disappear."
Robin narrowed his eyes and he felt Jefferson tense up beside him. "What do you want?"
"It's not what I want. It's what my associate wants." Gold stepped aside to reveal Cora Ozgreene behind him. She wore a black pantsuit and smiled when she saw Robin.
"Do I even have to say anything?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'm not dropping the charges against Zelena. Nor am I hiring her back."
"Then I guess we'll have to make sure Regina is prosecuted to the full extent of the law." Gold reached into his suit and pulled out a rolled up document. "She did sign a legally binding document."
"Why don't you have a real lawyer look that over? And after he or she laughs you out of their office, you can come back and discuss dropping the charges." Robin crossed his arms as he glared at the man who Regina had once considered a mentor.
Cora shook her head. "And here I thought you cared about Regina."
"Don't." He held up his hand. "Don't pretend you give a fuck about her, Cora. You've made it clear which daughter you prefer."
Jefferson glanced between him and her before shaking his head. "Wait, wait, wait. Can someone tell me what's going on?"
Robin nodded, motioning to Cora. "This is the woman who gave birth to Regina, traumatized her for eight years, left her and now is working to send her to jail to save her stepdaughter's arse."
"Regina's mother?" Jefferson exclaimed. He glared at her. "You're really a piece of work."
Ignoring Cora's glare, Robin turned back to Gold. "Tell me—what do you get with aligning yourself with her? How does prosecuting Regina benefit you?"
Gold glared at him as well. "That is my business. If you won't make a deal, then we have nothing else to discuss. Good day."
As they walked off, Jefferson placed his arm in front of Robin to hold him back. "It's not worth it. Justice will prevail in the end. So let's go in the courtroom and show Regina we all support her."
"Docket number one-six-eight-seven-four-W-C-O, the People v Regina Angelica Mills, sole charge embezzlement," the clerk announced, placing the file in front of the judge as the court officer brought Regina in.
Her eyes first saw her mother sitting next to Gold, the two smirking as she approached the table. Behind them sat Nat Cole, a tall man with a head of white hair who glared at her as if she were about to spend her time here badmouthing Leo rather than answering embezzlement charges.
She then saw a whole crowd sitting behind her table. Robin and Will were in the front row with Killian and Jefferson, a surprise to her. And behind them were Granny, Ruby, Ingrid, Marco and Tink. Regina also spotted Mal, Cru and Ursula sitting in the back. All three were frowning and had their arms crossed.
The show of support almost made her start crying. She held it in though as she took her place next to John at the table and the court officer placed a garbage pail next to her, just in case.
"How does the defendant plea?" the judge asked, looking over the file and not at her.
Regina took a deep breath, licking her lips. "Not guilty."
He nodded, writing something down. "People on bail?"
"We request a ten-million-dollar bail," a dark-haired man in a suit replied. His blue eyes were focused on her and Regina figured he was ADA Pendragon. Her stomach dropped.
She wasn't the only one who thought that was exorbitant. John made a strangled noise and the judge frowned. 'Doesn't that seem a bit excessive, Counselor?" he asked.
ADA Pendragon shook his head. "The amount Ms. Mills is accused of stealing totals far more than that. And she's in a relationship with Robin Locksley, who most likely will pay her bail. I want to make sure it's an amount that would make him think twice about hiding her."
"That's punishing Ms. Mills for who she loves," John argued. "And the money she is accused of stealing was embezzled a decade ago. It certainly wouldn't be as large an amount today.
"Your Honor, Regina has resided in Storybrooke those ten years and has never left for more than two weeks on vacation. She has been steadily employed and is a respected member of the community, as seen by all the people here supporting her. And even if she wasn't determined to clear this matter up, Regina's beloved father is in the hospital. She wouldn't leave him."
"Your Honor," ADA Pendragon started but was silenced when the judge raised his hand.
The judge shook his head. "You've had your say. It's my turn. I must say that I'm suspicious about why these charges have been brought ten years after the fact, but that's for the trial judge and jury to sort through…if it comes to that.
"I see that this is Miss Mills' first offense. And after taking everything into consideration, I am ordering her to be released on her own recognizance but," he continued as Pendragon made a noise of protest, "I am also ordering her to surrender her passport."
He leaned down to address Regina directly. "That means I'm letting you go, Miss Mills, and placing you on the honor system. I am trusting that you will show up when this court asks you to. If you don't, a warrant will be issued for your arrest and bail may be set. I've also asked that you hand over your passport to ensure you don't disappear somewhere that won't send you back. Understand?"
"Yes, Your Honor," she said, relief spreading through her. She was able to go home to Robin and Roland.
The judge banged his gavel and he called for the next case. John ushered her past the bar and she fell into Robin's arms. He held her close, kissing her forehead. "See?" he whispered. "I told you it would be fine."
"Come on, let's get out of here," John whispered. "I want to discuss a few things with you."
Robin wrapped his arm around her, holding her close to him as they walked out of the courtroom. She closed her eyes, pressing her cheek against his chest and letting him guide her way. Perhaps the sun was starting to peek out from behind the rain clouds.
They came to a stop and Regina opened her eyes, finding themselves in the empty lobby of the courthouse. Only her group of friends surrounded her as John spoke with ADA Pendragon. "My office will deliver all the evidence Miss Mills turned over to me," he said. "I'm sure you'll have a much different take on this case once you see it."
Pendragon looked intrigued but before he could reply, Nat Cole advanced on him as he exited the courtroom. He closed one thin hand around the assistant district attorney's wrist while pointing a bony finger at Regina. "You're not going to believe anything that lying slut has to say, are you?"
"Watch your mouth!" Robin lunged for him but she held him back with Will's help.
She grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "It won't do if I escape a jail cell only for you to land there. Think of Roland."
"I won't let anyone insult you," he replied but made no further move toward Nat.
Nat, though, wasn't finished. "Don't let her fool you. She's only after one thing. Why else did she sleep with Leopold?"
She grimaced, closing her eyes as a cold feeling swept over her. Robin pressed his forehead against hers but it did little to stop the images assaulting her mind. "I can take you far away," he whispered. "We can leave now."
"Just say it, Regina," Nat pressed, sounding closer now as he addressed her. "You'll probably feel better once you tell the truth."
Anger chased away the cold with a heat that made her blood boil. Regina dropped Robin's hands and approached a smug-looking Nat Cole, determined to knock it from his face. "You want the truth? Fine. Why did I have sex with Leopold? Because he held my arms down and pinned my legs apart, forcing himself on me! Your friend isn't a victim, he's an embezzling rapist."
Nat's gray eyes widened and he backed away. "You lie. It's what you do."
"It's what you think I do," she countered. "But it's the truth, whether you want to believe it or not."
He shook his head, muttering something before he walked away. Cora stood there, her hand covering her mouth. For the first time in her entire life, Regina thought her mother actually felt something for her.
"Regina," Cora said, stepping closer. "I didn't know. I would never…I…"
Taking a step back, Regina held up her hands. "Don't. I don't need you to try to be my mother now. So just stay away from me."
"I think I can help with that." A tall blond man in a suit passed her, pulling out handcuffs as he smiled at Cora. "Mrs. Ozgreene, my name is Detective Kris Anderson with the San Diego Police Department and I have a warrant for your arrest."
"For what?" Cora demanded to know.
He took her arms, placing the handcuffs on her. "Cora Ozgreene, you're under arrest for aiding and abetting criminal activity, obstructing a police investigation and embezzlement. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present for any and all questioning. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided by the courts. Do you understand these rights?"
"Yes," she replied. "And I demand to speak to my lawyer now."
Detective Anderson nodded. "I'll take you over to the precinct and you can call him from there. He can meet you in Cali. We leave in a few hours."
He led Cora out past the group and Regina watched, incredulous. She glanced up at Robin, noticing that he was just as surprised as her. "Well, I wasn't expecting that," he said.
She laughed before turning back to her other supporters, most of whom were staring at her with wide eyes. Her mind finally caught up with what she had just admitted to out loud in front of them as Jefferson approached her. "I had to come into town for work and when I heard about the charges, I knew I had to come support you. But, Regina, I had no idea…"
"No one did," she told him, hugging him. "I only just told Robin a few days ago."
"I always thought something was wrong back then. I wish I had probed harder," Granny said, coming forward to hug her once Jefferson released her.
Regina shook her head. "I only told Emma what really happened when I told Robin. I really didn't want to talk about it for a long time."
"Well, you're talking now. And Blanchard Financials is going to pay," Granny said, nodding in her certainty.
"Indeed. I think I'm going to pull my business with them and invest elsewhere," Jefferson said, rubbing his chin.
Robin nodded. "That sounds like a very good idea. I think Sherwood will do the same."
"I think I'll talk to Gerda and Helga, suggest we do the same," Ingrid added.
"You don't have to do that," Regina protested. "Not for me."
Jefferson squeezed her shoulder. "Yes, we do. Losing business will put some pressure on Blanchard Financials. We're going to fight for you, Regina, in a language they will definitely understand."
Touched, she leaned against Robin as she fought back tears. "Thank you so much. I'm truly blessed to have friends like you."
"Let's go celebrate your first victory," Granny said, clapping her hands. "Lunch at my place."
Robin rubbed Regina's back. "You up for lunch? Or do you want to go home? It's been a long day already."
She shook her head, feeling elated and lighter than air. "I want to celebrate. I can leave this courthouse, my mother was led away in handcuffs, I knocked Nat Cole speechless…it's been a good day. So let's celebrate."
Regina let Robin and Will into her father's apartment. "We can get changed in here and then head to the hospital. Will, I'm sure we can get a ride if you want to head straight home," she said, tossing the keys down.
Will shook his head. "I want to visit Henry, if that's okay? Talk to the old man for a bit."
"That's fine," she replied, smiling. It then faltered. "But what about Roland? I know he's a good kid but has Tuck ever watched him for that long? Even with Dr. Hopper's visit?"
Robin took her hand. "Jefferson and I spoke at the diner. Grace wanted to go and play with Roland, so his nanny was taking him to Nottingham. She can watch the children for now."
"I helped pick Belle," she said, smiling. "She's good. Roland will like her."
"Don't worry. He still will want you to come home to him," Robin assured her, imagining his son rushing into Regina's arms and holding onto her tight once they did get home to Nottingham. It brought a smile to his face.
Will cleared his throat. "If you can point me to the bathroom…?"
"Down the hall, ignore the buzz from the lights," Robin and Regina said together.
"That was creepy," he replied, backing up slowly until he turned to head to the bathroom.
Robin chuckled as he took her hand in his. "So…"
"No," she said, pointing a finger at him. "I told you that you don't have to hire someone to fix the lights for us. It's okay. Let's just go change."
That hadn't crossed his mind. Something else had been troubling him since they had arrived at Granny's. Once Regina had crossed the threshold, she had turned green and had tried to rush into the ladies' room. It was clear she wasn't going to make it, so Granny had pulled her into her office and held a garbage pail as Regina was sick yet again. Robin had held her hair until she finished.
Granny had fussed over her, but Regina had insisted that she would just have another BLT—no cheese—and ginger ale. Robin helped her back to the table and it was soon like she hadn't just been sick in the back.
He watched as she almost inhaled her sandwich once it came out. She also demolished her French fries and most of his. And so far, she had kept most of it down. It sent his mind reeling, wondering if it really was the stress or something else…
"Penny for your thoughts?" Regina asked, taking his hands in hers. She had changed into a pair of jeans but had yet to put on a shirt, so she was standing there in her bra. His eyes glanced down at her breasts before realizing it would be too early for what he was looking for. So he looked back up at her eyes, which were shining with amusement and concern.
He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course," she said. "What is it?"
"When we get to the hospital, can you take a pregnancy test before we see your father?" he asked, watching her reaction.
Confusion clouded her eyes and she shook her head. "I told you, Robin. It's just stress."
"Maybe," he agreed, "but I've seen these symptoms before and they ended with a squirming, seven pound, nineteen-inch baby boy named Roland."
When she bit her lip, still hesitant to believe him, he then said the one thing that had made him ask her for this favor: "I didn't wear a condom the last time we made love, Regina. We got so caught up, I forgot."
Her eyes widened and he knew she was realizing the same thing. "I could be…"
"Take the test," he pleaded. "We can find out and go from there, whether you are or you aren't. At least we'll know."
Regina nodded, seeming a bit dazed as she moved to put on her shirt. He watched her as he took off his tie and started unbuttoning his shirt, concerned but wanting to give her time to process everything.
He was out of his button down shirt and into his t-shirt when he felt Regina approach him. "Robin? If I am pregnant, how would you feel about that?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.
Turning around, Robin saw the uncertainty and fear in her eyes. He sighed as he gently gripped her arms. "I know this isn't the greatest timing. We've barely known each other a year, yet alone been dating long. And we've hit quite the speedbump and are working to fix our relationship, to make it even stronger than it was. I also know that babies aren't Band-Aids and in fact complicate everything. I won't lie and say it was all smooth sailing when Roland came along because Marian and I had been together almost four years at that point.
"But if you are pregnant, I will be so overjoyed. You know I've always wanted more than one child. And to have one with you…" He cupped her cheek as he smiled. "You are going to be a great mother. Let's be honest, you're already one as you became more than a nanny to Roland on day two. I love you and I am determined to make our relationship last forever. We are a family and a baby will just make it better."
Her brown eyes misted over. "I don't know how I feel."
"That's okay," he said. "This isn't a definite and if you are pregnant, that's a life-changer. You don't have to know how you feel just yet."
Will knocked on the door. "You two ready? Or should I just leave you?"
"We'll be right out," Robin replied. "Just finishing up in here."
As they heard Will walk away, Robin turned back to Regina. He pressed his forehead to hers. "No matter what, I love you."
"I love you too," she said, kissing him quickly. She then stepped away. "We should finish getting ready before Will really does leave us."
He nodded, starting to take off his pants. But he was distracted, watching her as she put the diamond studs he had given her for Christmas back in her ears. There was a faraway look in her eyes and he thought he saw a soft smile. If she was pregnant, it was a very good look on her already.
Regina wandered the overly bright and sterile halls of the hospital, still trying to get her thoughts together before headed to her father's rooms. On their trip over, all she could think about was Robin's request and theory that she might be pregnant. She had always been so quick to write off her symptoms as stress out of habit—it had never been true the few times she was late when she and Daniel were intimate and then did it to calm herself down the few times it happened during the hell Leopold put her through.
Yet Robin remembering they hadn't used protection last time jolted her, as did her realizing that she had missed her period for June. She was now almost a month late.
She still wasn't sure how she felt about being pregnant now. Robin had laid out all the reasons why it wasn't the right time to have a baby but he did seem happy about the prospect. All she felt was confused.
"You look like you need to talk to someone," a voice said, interrupting her thoughts.
Regina jumped, turning around to find Dr. Espenson following her as she clutched onto a cup of coffee. The woman fell into step next to her as relief swept through Regina. "I didn't see you," she said.
"Of course not. You were a million miles away. But we're at my office, if you want to make a pit stop on my couch." Dr. Espenson leaned against the doorjamb.
"I think that would be a good idea," Regina agreed, following her doctor into her office. She took a seat on the couch and took a deep breath.
Dr. Espenson sat across from her, crossing her legs. "So, I'm glad to see you were able to walk out of that courthouse."
"That makes two of us." Regina smiled, leaning back.
"And I saw that Robin was there."
She nodded. "I decided to forgive him and we're going to work on our relationship."
"Good," Dr. Espenson said before growing serious. "But what does he know about what happened to you at Blanchard Financials?"
"Everything. I told him, Emma and Will everything when I told my lawyer the full story."
The doctor nodded. "And what was Robin's reaction?"
"He called me strong." Regina smiled at the memory. "And he said he admired me. But he's also been hesitant toward me, careful to make sure I was comfortable with him touching me or even undressing in front of me. It was touching but a bit unnerving. I don't want him to second guess any time he wants to be intimate with me."
Dr. Espenson tilted her head as she tapped her pen against her notepad. "Are you ready for that again? Not two weeks ago you weren't sure if you wanted to stay in this relationship. And you just relived a very traumatic sexual experience."
Regina nodded. "I'm not ready to have sex again yet. I meant hugs, kisses, caresses, holding me. He's getting somewhat better but I don't like the hesitancy I see in him before he reaches for me. I'm worried it might come between us."
"That sounds like something you need to tell Robin."
"I know. And I will," she replied. "I'm still trying to help him forgive himself."
"For?"
"Using August to get his answers rather than asking me. He knows I forgive him but he still feels guilty."
Dr. Espenson jotted something down on her notepad. "Do you blame him?"
"What?" Regina asked confused. "No. I said I forgave him because I have. Yes, he played a role in the mess happening now and I've acknowledged it. But if anyone is to blame, it's Leo and Gold. Mostly Gold."
"Why? Leo is the one who violated you."
Regina crossed her arms. "But Gold let it happen. He knew and he did nothing to interfere. Nothing to protect me at all. And I believe Leo has no clue any of this is happening. This is all Gold because August was snooping, because of some deal he made with my mother, I don't know. All I know is that he couldn't let sleeping dogs lie.
"You know what? Part of me is grateful to him and to Robin. I've been forced to confront my past and to finally be open about it. And I've gotten so much love and support, the burden feels as light as a feather. I'm not living in fear anymore. They can't control my life from the shadows. I am in a happy and getting healthy again relationship with a man who loves and accepts me, I have so many great friends I've never truly appreciated before but am starting to, I am almost a mother to an amazing little boy who thinks I hang the moon and I might be having a child of my own. My future is really bright."
Breathing hard, Regina felt like a shroud had been lifted from her eyes. Everything seemed brighter, clearer, and joy bubbled up inside her. She let out a laugh that morphed into a sigh as she slumped over on the couch. "That felt good," she said.
Dr. Espenson smiled. "It sounded cathartic. Though, I'm curious…You said you might be having a child of your own?"
Regina nodded as her fingers brushed the Band-Aid covering the spot where the nurse drew her blood for the test. She explained her symptoms to the doctor. "I thought it was stress, Robin thought it pregnancy. And as I think about it, he might be right."
"Have you missed your period?" Dr. Espenson asked.
"Yes," Regina replied, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm about a month late."
Dr. Espenson jotted it down. "And you and Robin were intimate before that?"
She nodded before biting her lip. "But we used protection. Robin didn't wear a condom on Father's Day but I remember him using one during sexy nerd night."
"Sexy nerd night?" Dr. Espenson raised an eyebrow but moved on. "While condoms have a high rate of success, they aren't foolproof. Were you using any other type of birth control?"
"No."
"There you go. So it is possible, even if the odds are low. And how you feel if the test comes back positive?"
Regina took a deep breath before going with her gut and not overthinking her answer. "Happy. Overjoyed. Blessed. Robin was right that a baby isn't going to make everything better but we're both willing to face any and all challenges. And this will be one with such a great reward—parenthood. It's something I always wanted and I couldn't ask for a better partner in Robin. He's an amazing father and I know we'll do right by this child.
"Of course, I'm scared too," she continued. "I have lots of child care experience but it's never been my child. I've always followed their parents' lead. I don't know how I would raise my own child."
Dr. Espenson nodded. "You have a lot of questions to answer."
"Do I have to answer them now?" Regina's euphoria gave way to uncertainty as several questions filled her mind.
"No," her doctor assured her. "First, find out if you're pregnant. Then celebrate it and then starting talking to Robin about your questions. And, of course, my door is always open. For both of you, if you want."
Regina smiled, nodding. "Actually, he wants to come to couples counseling with you. So I'm going to set up an appointment when I get outside."
"Good," Dr. Espenson replied, opening the door to usher her into the waiting room. "But I'd want to meet with Robin separately first so I can get a chance to know him outside your relationship. Do you think he'll be okay with that?"
"I am," Robin said, holding out a hand as he walked away from Sally's desk. "Robin Locksley. Pleased to meet you."
Dr. Espenson shook his hand. "And you. I can't wait to get to know you better. Unfortunately, I have a patient coming in, so I'm going to leave you in Sally's capable hands."
She ushered the person sitting in the waiting room into her office while Regina stepped up to Sally's desk with Robin. He pulled out his phone and called up his calendar. "Okay, let's do this."
They set up appointments and left Dr. Espenson's office hand-in-hand. "What made you come here?" she asked.
"We got concerned," Robin replied. "I covered for your absence by telling Emma and your father that I convinced you to go get a check up to make sure the stress wasn't impacting your health. But when an hour passed with no word for you, Emma suggested you may have come here. So I offered to come looking for you."
"I didn't come here, at least not on purpose. Dr. Espenson found me wandering the hallway trying to collect my thoughts and told me she had some free time. It was an offer I couldn't refuse."
He nodded, wrapping his arm around her. "I'm glad. Did talking with her help?"
"It did," she said. "She helped me sort out a few things."
"Like?"
"Like that if I am pregnant, I'm going to be very happy about it. Being a mother was the one thing I thought I'd never have and if you've given it to me, then I am not going to let anything lessen how joyful an event it will be."
"You're going to be a great mother." Robin stopped and pulled her close to him, looking serious. "But if the test is negative…?"
She shrugged. "Then it wasn't meant to be now. We can work on our relationship and maybe in a couple months try in earnest."
He smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You really want to start a family with me?"
"Of course," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You are it for me, Robin Locksley. I don't want anyone else. And the clock is ticking, so if we want a child of our own, we'll have to start trying soon. I want that child."
"Me too." He kissed her, rubbing her back as he nibbled on her lip. She opened up to him, neither caring that they were making out in the middle of a hospital hallway like teenagers.
It was perfect to them.
"Cora Ozgreene was arrested today at the Storybrooke Courthouse and is awaiting extradition back to California," the news anchor said. "According to the indictment against her filed in San Diego, Mrs. Ozgreene is accused of conspiring with her stepdaughter, Zelena, to embezzle several thousands in funds from Sherwood Corporations. She is also accused of aiding her stepdaughter as well as trying to hinder the investigation in order to protect her step-daughter. There has been no comment from either the Ozgreene family or Sherwood Corporations."
The screen filled with footage of Cora being led from the courthouse in handcuffs as she tried to duck the cameras. Henry chuckled as he sat up in bed. "I hope we can get a copy of this. I would love to be able to watch my ex-wife in cuffs whenever I want."
"I'm sure something could be arranged," Emma replied, grinning as well.
"Mrs. Ozgreene was in town for the arraignment of her daughter, Regina Mills," the anchor continued. "Ms. Mills is also accused of embezzlement, which according to officials occurred ten years ago when she was working for Blanchard Financials. Ms. Mills pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance. Robin Locksley, the CEO and founder of Sherwood Corporations and Ms. Mills' boyfriend, was by her side. Many have questioned why Mr. Locksley has stayed by the side of someone accused of embezzlement in light of the situation with Ms. Ozgreene. We reached out to Sherwood Corporations and received this statement: 'Mr. Locksley asks that people wait for all the facts to emerge in both cases and is certain people will realize that Ms. Mills' situation is far different from Ms. Ozgreene's.'"
Robin hummed from behind her, the sound vibrating against her back as they laid together on the recliner Emma had convinced the hospital staff to put in the room. He tightened his grip on her as he rested his cheek against her hair. "And that's why I pay my PR people the big bucks."
"It's a nice statement," she agreed before turning to her father. "Can we watch something else, Daddy? Something less depressing?"
"A good idea." Henry picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels on a quest to find something happier.
A knock announced Dr. Whale's arrival. He held a folder in his hand and he smiled at everyone. "Regina, I have the results from the bloodwork I ordered earlier. A lab tech owed me a favor and rushed them for me. Can we discuss them outside?"
"What's wrong with in here?" Henry asked, frowning as concerned filled his brown eyes.
Regina patted his hand, not wanting the results to be given in public, even if only her loved ones were around. She'd rather get the news in private with Robin. "It's okay, Daddy. I can go out in the hall. Robin will come with me."
Though he still looked concerned, Henry nodded and watched as she stood. She took Robin's hand and went to meet Dr. Whale outside. Leaning against Robin, she took a deep breath. "Well?"
Dr. Whale opened the folder. "You're a bit dehydrated, which is to be expected with the vomiting. You should try to replace those electrolytes. And you're slightly anemic, which is something we usually see in the third trimester, not the first. You'll have to talk to your obstetrician about that."
"Okay," she said before she processed his entire statement. Her stomach tightened as hope burst inside her chest. "Wait, did you say trimester? Obstetrician?"
He smiled as he nodded. "Congratulations, Regina. The test came back positive—you're pregnant."
The hope in her chest turned to joy and she let out a happy sob. "I'm going to be a mommy."
"Yes, you are," Robin whispered, kissing her head as he hugged her close. "We're having a baby."
Dr. Whale closed the folder. "I'll leave you two alone to celebrate and I'll go check on your father. Once again, congrats you too."
She barely thanked him before she was gathered into Robin's arms. He held her close, rocking her gently as she smiled against his shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," she replied, raising her head. "You know, everything seemed so bleak lately with the trial and all my secrets. But now, now everything seems so much brighter and I owe a lot of that to you. And not just because of the pregnancy. Because you got past my walls, saw a lot of me that I had always thought I had to keep hidden and you loved me. You shined a light in my darkness and now everything is so much brighter. So thank you."
Robin cupped her cheek, brushing away the few tears that had started to fall. "I need to thank you too. You walked into my house, sat on the steps bonding with my son and the moment you looked up at me with those beautiful brown eyes, I felt something I thought had died with Marian. You gave me a second chance—a second chance at love, a second chance at this relationship after I almost blew it and now a second chance at fatherhood. You, Regina Mills, are amazing. Never forget that."
"I doubt you'll let me," she said, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He held her close and she thought her heart was going to burst from how much love filled it.
After several minutes just wrapped up in each other, Regina stepped away. "We should head back inside before Daddy really starts to worry."
Robin nodded, taking her hand. "What do you want to tell them?"
"Just that everything's fine," she said. "We'll tell them about the baby in a little bit. Once I get used to the fact that I'm going to have a baby."
"Sound good." He motioned for her to lead the way and she did, hoping she didn't look as happy as she felt. Everyone would know something was going on if she did.
Dr. Whale looked up as they entered. "There you are. I was just saying that your father's lungs are clearing up, so the drugs are working. I'm going to order some breathing tests so we can see how that's changed, but I'm optimistic about the results. The pulmonologist, though, is gone for the holiday weekend so I won't be able to release Henry until Tuesday at the earliest, as long as he okays it."
"That's okay," Regina said, smiling at her father. "As long as he's getting better, that's all I care about."
Henry nodded and though he addressed Whale, he kept his eyes trained on her. "We need to get me better, Doctor. I have a grandchild to meet."
A/N: Now you know—there's an Outlaw Queen baby on the way! Of course, while this is a happy event, it still does bring some complications that Regina and Robin will have to work through.
ADA Pendragon now knows about the rapes and will have a lot of evidence to sift through. What will happen and what conclusions will the DA's office draw? And where did Mary Margaret disappear to suddenly? Find out soon!
For now, the next chapter is going to be focused more on Outlaw Queen and Roland. I've missed writing them as there was a lot of other plot to get through. Still is, but my timeline for the story puts this at the Fourth of July weekend, so it's time for a little breather.
Have a happy Tuesday, everyone!
-Mac