Chapter 25: Summer Fun

Regina padded out of the bathroom and into the sundrenched bedroom. It was earlier than she had wanted to wake up but it seemed her bladder had other ideas. Or rather the two Beans sitting on it did. She rubbed her small bump. "Mommy didn't need such an early wake up call," she told her unborn children.

She studied Robin, who was still sound asleep. He laid on his back, one arm stretched over her empty side of the bed and the other resting on his stomach. His hair shone like a halo from a few sunbeams falling across their bed. Regina smiled at the angelic sight before climbing back into bed, curling next to him.

They had gone to see Dr. Espenson the day before to talk about what had happened at the confrontation. She was proud of Regina and happy that she was ready to move on. Robin expressed concern over how angry and violent he almost got, but Dr. Espenson believed it was just due to the extraordinary circumstances. She offered to talk about it further with him in private sessions and he had accepted. Regina had agreed with Dr. Espenson's belief, feeling absolutely safe with Robin, but she knew his response had bothered him, so she supported his wish to talk about it with Dr. Espenson.

Regina had then said she wanted to work on restoring the intimacy between her and Robin. He told her not to rush but she knew it was time. Removing Leopold from her life took away that distraction. They could then focus on their relationship and she knew the intimacy they once shared would return—hopefully better than before.

She rested against his side and he curled his arm around her as his head rolled to face her. There was movement under his eyelids and she knew he was waking up. Regina tilted her head up, kissing under his jaw.

He moaned, kissing her forehead. "What time is it?" he asked, voice hoarse from sleep.

"Early," she replied. "Nature called."

"Oh, I remember that. It's only going to get worse." He kissed her forehead again as she groaned. "So, do you want to go back to sleep?"

She shook her head, tracing his lips with her finger. "I was thinking we could take advantage of being the only ones awake."

He hummed, sucking her finger in his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. It sent a hot jolt straight to her core as she grabbed onto his shirt with her free hand. With a good tug, she pulled him with her as she rolled flat onto her back.

Robin hovered over her, arms on either side of her body. He kissed her hand after releasing her finger, smiling at her. "Are you sure about this? I thought we agreed to go slow."

"I'm fine," she assured him, running her hands down his strong arms. "I'll let you know when I'm not. I promise."

"Okay," he said, nuzzling her nose.

She almost laughed at the situation. He was worried that some kisses and maybe some petting would be too much for her while she carried his children. Yet she knew their situation wasn't a normal one and bit back her laughter, grateful that he was so understanding.

He kissed her and she wound her arms around his neck, playing with the soft hair at his neck. She moaned into the kiss, opening her mouth up to him easily. Robin slipped his tongue in, sweeping her mouth.

Regina bent her knees as Robin's body sank closer to hers. His hands toyed with the edge of her t-shirt, warm fingers brushing against the skin underneath as their tongues now battled for dominance.

She broke the kiss, panting as she said: "Go ahead. You can touch me."

"I don't want to hurt you. I know…I know breasts can get sensitive during pregnancy," he replied, voice hoarse as his breath ghosted over the skin on her neck.

"Mine aren't," she assured him, pulling off her shirt and tossing it aside. "So you better get your fill of them while you can."

He chuckled, cupping one with his right hand. She moaned as his thumb flicked over her nipple, watching as it grew firm and pert. "Just like that," she said. "Don't forget the other one."

"Never," he said, bringing his other hand up to her other breast. His lips closed on a pressure point in her neck and she gasped from the dual sensations coursing through her.

She closed her eyes, digging her fingers into his silken locks, and enjoyed this moment. It felt like it had been eternity since they had been like this, acted on their desires for each other. Dull pleasure gathered deep inside her, a hot pool starting to leak out and wet her panties. Regina gave herself over to him, his warm hands and his magic tongue.

Tugging on his hair, she got him to turn his attention back to her lips. She kissed him open-mouthed, tongue once again dancing with his as he moaned this time. His hands slid from her breasts to her back, pressing her closer to him. Regina felt his half-hard cock through their pajama pants as she hooked a leg over his.

"I have missed this," he confessed, nipping at her ear. "Just you and me, entwined and kissing."

She chuckled, kissing him again. "I've missed this too. I've missed us."

He nuzzled her neck. "We have all the time in the world to work on us. I promise you that."

"I know. Now, stop talking and keep kissing." She smirked before pulling him close, pressing her lips to his.

Robin's hand slid down her back, cupping her ass through her pajamas. She grinned into the kiss, glad that some things never changed—he was still as fascinated with her rear as ever. As he massaged it, she let his ever-present pine scent wash over her and make her head spin. This was how she wanted to spend all her mornings, wrapped up in Robin and the way he made her feel—safe, loved, and cherished.

"Well, you two look happy this morning," Emma commented as they entered the kitchen, smirking at them. "Enjoying yourselves already?"

Regina was more focused on the mug in her friend's hand and the tantalizing smells coming from it, making her wish for just one sip of the delicious brew inside even though she knew she needed to stay away from it for the sake of the Beans. She only hummed in response, fingers reaching of their own accord for the mug.

Emma pulled it away as Robin placed a glass in her hand. "Will made you a strawberry banana smoothie to drink instead," he told her, kissing her cheek.

Regina sighed, taking a sip of the sweet concoction. "Thank you, Will. I still wish this was coffee."

"I know," Will said, cutting up some fruit for the waffles he was making. "All in good time."

Emma continued to smirk at her and Regina scowled. "Are you so smug because you can have coffee and I can't?"

"No. It's because you have to cover up a hickey and I don't," Emma replied, taking a sip from her mug.

Regina's hand flew up to her neck as her eyes widened. "I do not have a hickey."

"Yeah, you do. Robin marked you right here." Will pointed to the right side of his neck and she hurried to the nearest mirror to check it out, thrusting her glass into Robin's hand.

She paused, spotting the telltale purpling on her neck. It was right below her ear, a place Robin definitely loved to nibble. Regina frowned, trying to rearrange her hair to hide it before Roland or her father found it.

Robin appeared in the mirror as he pushed back her hair, displaying the hickey again. "Come on. It's not that bad."

"No worse than the one Regina gave you," Emma commented.

Turning around, Regina bit back a laugh when she saw a similar purple mark where Robin's neck met his shoulder. She brushed it gingerly. "Oops."

"I won't hide mine if you don't hide yours," he said, giving her a grin that sent a jolt of warmth right down to her core.

She almost melted into him but she resisted. "What about Roland? Or my father? What will we tell them?"

"We'll just tell Roland you have a boo-boo and as for your father…Well, we are having twins together, Regina. I'm sure your father can figure out what we sometimes do in bed," Robin replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

Regina pressed her lips together, wanting to be annoyed with him but more tempted to laugh. "It doesn't mean we have to flaunt it in front of him."

"What do you call this bump of yours?" he asked, slipping a hand under her t-shirt to cup said bump.

She shook her head. "There's a difference between a baby bump and a hickey and you know it."

"Okay, okay," he allowed. "I just don't see why you feel the need to hide it. We're amongst friends and family. And we both can deal with Emma's and Will's teasing."

"Us? Tease them? Now would we do that?" Will asked Emma.

She frowned, shaking her head. "Never."

Regina leaned past Robin, giving both a look before turning her attention back to Robin. "Can you please just let me cover it up? It'll make me feel better."

He sighed, rubbing her arms. "Whatever makes you comfortable, lovely. Though I still contend it's nothing to be ashamed of. We're not teenagers anymore."

"He's still my father," she replied, unable to express it any other way. She knew she was an adult, that she was in a stable and serious relationship with Robin and that she was pregnant. Yet everything told her to cover up the hickey anyway.

Robin smiled, adjusting her hair just so around her face. He nodded, pleased with his handiwork. "There. You can't see it."

"Thank you," Regina said, rubbing his cheek with her hand and letting his scruff tickle her palm.

The door opened as Henry shuffled into kitchen, leaning on his walker. Regina and Emma both lurched toward him. "Why aren't you using the wheelchair, Daddy?" she asked him.

"I felt a bit stronger and decided to try the walker," he replied, batting her away. "This is an improvement, don't you think?"

Regina relaxed, smiling. "Yes, Daddy, it is."

"I hope this improvement comes with an appetite," Will said. "I made waffles."

Henry's eyes lit up. "I love waffles. I'll definitely have some. Maybe with some blueberries, if you have any?"

"I think we might." Will drifted over to the fridge, opening it to check for the requested fruit.

"Come on, Daddy. Why don't we all sit down?" Regina took her smoothie from where Robin had set it down as she headed toward the table. Emma and Robin followed her, encouraging Henry to take a seat as well.

Glancing around, Henry turned to her. "Where's the little one this morning? I'm surprised he's not already running around."

"Good point," Robin said, frowning as he stood. "I'll go get Roland. Hopefully he's just playing with his toys and not sick."

He disappeared upstairs and returned a few minutes later, Roland in hand. Once they hit the bottom stair, Roland let go and raced toward Regina. "Good morning, Mom!"

"Good morning, sweetheart." She wrapped her arm around him and held him close. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did. Did you and the twins?" he asked, patting her stomach.

Regina kissed her forehead. "Yes, we did. Thank you for asking. Now why don't you sit down and enjoy your waffle?"

He nodded, taking his seat between Robin and Regina as Will set plates in front of everyone. Roland eagerly drowned his waffle in syrup as everyone watched, chuckling. "Save some for everyone else," Robin warned.

"I will," Roland said, setting the sticky bottle down. He dove into his waffles as the adults all watched him.

Regina glanced out the backdoors, catching sight of the lake. The sun shone on its waters and she could see a few dark blobs bobbing amongst the waves, meaning people were starting to arrive to beat the summer heat. It gave her an idea.

"Who wants to go to the lake today?" she asked, smiling at the others.

Roland gasped and smiled, bouncing in his seat. "I want to go, Mom!"

"Are you sure?" Robin asked, reaching over to take her hand as he gave her a knowing look. Emma was giving her a similar look.

Taking a deep breath, Regina nodded. "I am. I'm fine in the pool, so I doubt the lake will be any different. Besides, I'll have both of you, right?"

"Of course," Robin assured her, smiling.

Emma hesitated, though, as she glanced at Henry. "I'm not sure if I can go."

"Nonsense," he replied. "You go and have fun. I'll be fine here in the house."

"Besides, I'll be here. I can get some cleaning done with you lot out of the way," Will said.

Robin twisted in his chair, frowning. "You sure? You can always come down with us to the lake. You're more family than employee."

Will chuckled. "I know that, mate. But I really mean it. I can give this house a good scrubbing while you're out and watch Henry."

"I'm not entirely an invalid," Henry grumbled. "I don't need a babysitter like I'm a child."

"I know you hate it, Daddy, but you know it's not like that. You need help with your medicine and your oxygen." Regina patted his hand, hoping he came around. She would hate to leave him with Will while he was in one of his moods.

He sighed. "I know, I know. I just hate to put people out because I'm sick."

"You're not putting me out," Will insisted. "You relax, I'll clean, they'll be out of the way at the lake. It's win-win."

"Well, if that's settled, I think we should eat up so we can start to digest and head down to the lake," Robin said, smiling at everyone. "What do you say?"

Regina grinned, diving back into her waffle so she could get to what promised to be a fun family day sooner.

About an hour later, the small party of four trooped down from Nottingham toward Lake Nostros. Roland held both Regina's and Robin's hands, happily skipping between the two as they navigated the stone steps leading onto the boardwalk. Robin carried some chairs while Emma touted a cooler and some toys for Roland. They had debated with Regina, finally allowing her to carry the beach bag with their towels and sunscreen.

They found a good spot on the sand, setting up their chairs and an umbrella. Regina pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and lathered Roland up in it. He giggled as she did that, which made Robin smile.

"Alright, let me blow up your floaties and you'll be good to go," Regina said, reaching into the bag.

Roland shook his head. "I think I'm okay without them, Mom."

She hesitated, frowning. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said, voice confident. "I'm a big boy now."

Robin's heart stopped at those words and he blinked away tears as Regina kissed Roland's forehead. He watched as his son took Emma's hand and let her lead him down to the water, a tightness in his chest over the fact that his son was in fact growing up and fearing it was happening too fast.

"Robin? Can you put some sunscreen on me?" she asked, holding out the bottle she had just used on Roland.

He turned his attention to Regina, taking the bottle as she pulled her white cover up over her head. She had on a black bikini, displaying her bigger breasts as well as the swell in her abdomen. It wasn't as big as she feared, but it was enough to show she was pregnant to everyone else. Robin thought she looked absolutely beautiful and he smiled as he rubbed the white lotion into her skin, realizing that even though Roland was growing up, he was going to have a chance to experience the first few years of his children's life yet again.

"Robin?" she asked, trying to look back over her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

Smiling, he shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her, turning her to face him. "Not a thing."

Regina wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling as well. "Good. Now, shall we head into the lake? That water looks very inviting."

"You ready for this?" He slid his arms back around so he could take her hand. "You want to do this just like the pool?"

"I think that would be best," she said, lacing their fingers together as they headed down to the water.

The waves gently lapped at their feet as their toes sank into the wet sand. Robin held Regina's hand as they entered the lake, wading further and further in. The water was cool at first but soon warmed up the longer they stayed in it. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said. "We can go in further."

Robin paused. "You sure? I think this is a good depth."

"I know I can go in deeper. I can still touch the floor. As long as I can do that, I'm fine," she replied.

He nodded. "Just let me know if you get uncomfortable, okay?"

They moved until the water covered her breasts. Robin felt her start to tread water and she smiled. "I'm doing it."

"Yes, you are," he said, smiling. "Can you stand?"

She nodded. "I just want to tread water for a bit. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." He rested his hands on her waist, holding her up as well. "I'm glad I can be here for you."

"I don't think I ever thanked you for helping me with getting over my fear of water. Especially since I kept crashing your swim time," she replied.

His lips twitched as he realized she still hadn't realized the truth of the matter. "You didn't crash anything, Regina. I was never much of a swimmer until you came along. Marian was pretty much part fish and she still couldn't get me into the pool."

"Will did mention something about you taking it up recently," she said. "He implied you did it for me."

"I did."

She frowned, her brows furrowing. "Why?"

He pulled her closer, hands resting on her hips. "Because I overheard you talking with Dr. Hopper and heard that he recommended you go into the water with someone you trust. I took a chance that you trusted me that much as I didn't want you to go into the pool alone."

A strange look he couldn't quite read filled her brown eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You really did that for me?"

"Yes," he said, pulling her closer. "I loved you then, even if I wasn't ready to admit it due to my grief, and I wanted to help you like you were helping me and Roland."

Regina kissed the tip of her nose. "You are the sweetest man I have ever known and I am so privileged to love you."

"Ugh. Your parents are being shmoopy, Roland," Emma said, swimming up to them with him on her back. She crinkled her nose in disgust.

Regina pulled away, glaring at her friend. "Remind me to tease you mercilessly the next time I catch you and Killian acting shmoopy."

Emma looked indignant while Roland chuckled. He let go of her neck and swam over to Robin. "Look at me, Papa!"

"I see you, my boy. You're doing so well!" Pride filled Robin as he reached out so Roland could swim right into his arms. He pulled the boy close, kissing him. "Mom and I are so proud of you."

"Yes, we are." Regina kissed Roland's cheek. "Are you having fun?"

He nodded, holding onto Robin. "The lake is much more fun now that I can swim. Are you having fun, Mom?"

"I'm having lots of fun," she replied, leaning against Robin as she pushed back a few wet curls from Roland's face.

Robin held his family close, smiling as he looked between the two. The sun shone on his face, warming it, and he thought it was fittingly symbolic. Roland had shed his agoraphobia and grief while Regina was finally free from the dark secrets that had burdened her for years. Both were now standing in the sun with him, the three of them ready to move forward with their lives. He prayed the sun always shone on them for he believed they had experienced more sorrow than people should face in their lives. They all deserved happiness and he was going to make sure they got it.

Regina laid on the beach chair Robin brought down, her towel keeping the plastic from sticking to her. The sun warmed her skin and she lazily rubbed her small bump as she watched through her sunglasses as Robin and Roland built a sandcastle in front of their little spot on the beach.

"Mommyhood suits you," Emma said, squeezing onto the lounge with her. "You're just so much happier these days."

"I am happier. I'm no longer afraid that Leo or Gold will put me in jail, I've kicked Leo from my life, Robin and I are in a good place, I'm a mother to Roland and I'm pregnant," she replied. "Everything is good and for the first time, I'm not scared it will be taken from me."

Emma wrapped her arm around Regina and hugged her. "Good. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Regina rested her head on her friend's shoulder. "So do you, you know."

"I know," Emma replied. "And I have it, I think. I have you and Henry, Will, Robin and Roland. And this is probably going to blow you away, but I think Killian might be The One."

"I never thought I would see the day when Emma Swan talked about things like 'The One' and I'm guessing marriage?"

Emma shrugged. "Maybe. We've started to broach the topic but just how we feel about marriage in general. But I think it's a strong possibility. I haven't thought this way since Neal."

Neal's name tugged at Regina and she lifted her head. "Emma, there's something I should tell you."

"What?" Emma sat up, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head as she frowned. "Is it about Killian?"

"No. It's about Neal."

"What?" Emma let out an incredulous little laugh. "Neal? Seriously?"

Regina nodded. "Mary Margaret discovered that there was another person with a large amount of shares in Blanchard Financial along with her and Nat Cole. Neal Cassidy."

Emma sat up, eyes wide. "Neal Cassidy? Are you sure it's my Neal Cassidy?"

"Yes," Regina replied. "Remember how he talked about an estranged father who was trying to buy his love and it seemed he had a connection to Blanchard Financials? Both were Edgar Gold."

"Are you sure?"

"Milah isn't a very common name," Regina said. "So for Gold to have an ex-wife named Milah and a son named Neal Cassidy…"

Emma swore. "So Neal is one of the principle stockholders in Blanchard Financials? Do you think he'll actually show up to Mary Margaret's meeting?"

"I don't know. But since there is a chance, I wanted you to know. Just in case," Regina replied.

"Thank you," Emma told her, leaning back. "I doubt I'll run into Neal, but at least I won't be too surprised if I do."

Regina bit her lip, a question echoing around her head. She had never pressed Emma about it before but now, she wanted to know one thing: "Emma, why did you and Neal break up for good? What was the final straw?"

Her friend sighed. "It was drugs. Neal got addicted. And he could afford them, what with Daddy Gold giving him so much money. I always worried that I wouldn't be able to wake him up in the morning…or whenever he finally came home to crash."

"Oh, Emma," Regina said, feeling sorry for the hell Neal put her through.

"It got worse, believe it or not. He decided that he could cut out the middle man and not have to pay for his drugs."

Furrowing her brow, Regina's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

"He was addicted to prescription painkillers, Regina," Emma explained.

"Oh," she replied, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Did he ask you…?"

"To steal some for him, yeah. I refused, telling him that it was one thing for him to throw his life away. I wasn't going to let him throw away mine as well."

Regina nodded. "Good for you."

"Yeah, but I should've done more. I should've thrown him out."

"Why? What did he do?"

Emma sighed. "He stole my hospital ID while I was asleep and snuck into the pharmacy, stealing several strong painkillers. Neal returned it so I didn't know about it until I reported to the hospital. Security escorted me to some suit's office and they told me my ID had been used to access the pharmacy. I assured them it wasn't me and they said they knew, showing me the corresponding security footage that showed Neal. They said they had alerted the police and would be pressing charges against him, but they had to terminate me because they couldn't be sure I wasn't working with him. Because they also couldn't be sure I was, they agreed not to prosecute me or take actions against my nursing license."

"Oh, Emma," Regina repeated, hugging her. "I'm so sorry."

"You weren't the one who stole from me. I kicked Neal out that very day and he was arrested in front of my building. I then struggled to find work, even though they didn't report why I was fired. Being fired just didn't look good. I got some home health care aide job but when you called, it was really a lifesaver. You helped me as much as I help you." Emma laid her head against Regina's shoulder.

Resting her head against Emma's, Regina smiled. "Isn't that always how it works with us?"

Emma laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is. And now we're in good places together."

"Yes, we are," Regina agreed, watching as Roland dumped a bucket of sand over Robin's hand. His father grabbed him, holding him upside down and tickling him until he apologized. Regina's smile widened. "We are indeed."

Regina straightened out Roland's bed after giving him clean sheets. She gathered up the ones she had stripped as her cell phone began ringing. Pulling it out, she smiled when she saw Robin's face fill the screen. "Hello?"

"Hello, lovely," he replied. "You know what I was thinking? It's been far too long since we've been out on a proper date."

She rolled her eyes. "We've been a little busy, Robin."

"Right," he agreed. "But we're not now. So I think we should remedy that. Regina Mills, will you join me for dinner tonight?"

"I'd love to," she said, smiling goofily now.

"Great! I'll make the reservations. Dress nice, but nothing too fancy. Okay?"

She pulled the phone away to chuckle before responding. "I got it. What time should I be ready?"

"I'll text you with that once I call the restaurant." She could feel his happiness radiating through the phone. "I can't wait."

They ended the call and Regina hurried from the room, calling for Emma. Her friend peeked out of her bedroom, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Fashion emergency," Regina told her. "I need something nice but not fancy for a date with Robin tonight."

Emma stepped out of her room, closing the door behind her. "Lead the way. I'm sure we'll find something."

It took them a couple hours and a lot of debating, but Regina ultimately decided on a simple black dress with spaghetti straps. Emma insisted it showed off her breasts the best and Regina liked how much room her growing stomach had in it. She put on her diamond necklace and earrings as Roland peeked into the room. "You look pretty, Mom."

Regina smiled down at him. "Thank you, sweetheart. Your father is taking me out to dinner tonight."

"Why?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"Because while Mom and I love you, Will, Emma and Grandpa Henry, we also like to spend some time alone together," Robin explained, entering the bedroom. He pulled Roland close. "Besides, if you want Mom and me to get married, we need to have a few more dates. Okay?"

Roland considered this for a moment and nodded. "Okay. Have fun!"

"Thank you," Regina replied, crouching down to kiss him. "That's just in case we don't see you tonight."

Robin hugged Roland before sending him back downstairs. He then turned to Regina, holding out his hand to help her back up. "You look beautiful, milady."

She leaned into his embrace. "Is this fine for where you're taking me?"

"It's perfect," he assured her, kissing her quickly. "Come on. We have reservations in fifteen minutes."

He took her hand as he led her downstairs, where everyone else was sitting down to dinner. Will grinned at them. "Should I leave a light on?"

"That would be nice," Robin replied. "Otherwise, Regina and I won't be responsible for anything we knock over in the dark."

"It's your house. You know where the lights are and can turn them on. Or at least use the flashlight equipped on your phone, yeah?" Will crossed his arms.

Leaving the two to their bantering, Regina leaned down to kiss her father's forehead. "Have a good night, Daddy."

"You too," he said. "You and Robin deserve a nice night out after everything you've been through."

She smiled, patting his hand. "Thank you, Daddy. Now, will you keep an eye on this group for me?"

He nodded. "Don't worry. There will be no wild parties under my watch."

Will, Emma and Roland all groaned in unison while Regina laughed. Robin held out his hand, helping her up. "Shall we go to dinner then?" he asked.

"We shall," she replied, moving her hand to rest at his elbow. She smiled at him. "Lead the way, good sir."

Robin made reservations at Lumière's, a French restaurant nestled against Lake Nostros. He got them a table overlooking the lake, the lights from Storybrooke shining against the waves as they gently lapped on the shore. Regina thought it looked absolutely beautiful as the first few stars appeared in the darkening sky and a soft warm breeze played with her curls.

"Can I get you our wine menu?" their waiter asked, smiling at them.

"No wine for us," Robin replied. "We'll just take some sparkling water instead."

The waiter nodded and once he left, Robin reached out and took her hands. "Do you like my choice?"

"I love it," she replied. "Though I would have loved it even if we ended up eating on the lawn with Will and Emma serving us, though I doubt they would've loved it."

He laughed, nodding. "You're right. Though if you want, I can always make some barbeque for just the two of us to enjoy under the stars one night. But tonight, I thought I'd try to get you a bit closer to Paris."

She smiled, touched that he would remember her dream vacation. Then again, she doubted Robin Locksley was someone who didn't pay attention to his lovers and could recall every small detail. "Thank you," she said.

"I was thinking we could go there for a babymoon, but I'm not sure Roland's ready for us to leave him for that long and for us to go that far away," he said.

"Babymoon?" she asked, confused.

He laughed. "It's relatively new. It's when soon-to-be new parents go away and spend some time together before the baby comes and everything becomes chaotic. I guess a last chance to be romantic for a long time."

"That does sound nice," she admitted. "But you're right. We can't leave Roland for that long just yet. Nor would I want to be so far away from my father. He's doing well now but you know it's day by day with him."

"I know. That was another reason I've started researching babymoon options closer to home," Robin replied.

Regina chuckled. "I'm barely out of my first trimester, Robin. I think we have some time before we worry about that."

"I know how fast it can fly by. And I was doing some reading. There's a chance you could deliver early, so we might not have as much time as we'd like," he said.

She squeezed his hands. "You're now making me nervous."

"Sorry," he said, shaking his hand. "Let's go back to nicer topics."

"Yes. Where have you been looking for our babymoon?" she asked, rubbing her thumbs over the back of his hands.

He shrugged. "A lot of places. There were some cities, like New York and Boston. I thought about going down to the Cape or Martha's Vineyard."

"I've always wanted to go to Martha's Vineyard," Regina admitted. "I hear it's gorgeous."

"So have I. I've never been either. But if you want to go, I'll take you there. And I promise you, one day we'll get to Paris," he vowed.

Touched, she leaned over the table to kiss him, mindful of the candle flickering in a vase. She rested her forehead against his. "Thank you so much."

"For promising to take you to Paris?" he asked, whispering.

"For making my dreams come true," she replied, sitting back down. "Finding love again, becoming a mother, finally freeing myself of my past…And one day, going to Paris."

He grinned as the waiter returned with their sparkling water. Robin took his glass and raised it high. "To you. I hope I continue making all your dreams come true."

"And to you. I hope I continue making you as happy as you have made me," Regina toasted, clinking her glass against his.

After they both took sips, Robin opened his menu. "We should probably pick something to eat. That's one of the reasons I took you here."

"True," she replied, opening her menu as well. She scanned everything, reading the English translations of the French meals listed inside. "I'm going to need to study French before you take me to Paris."

"Maybe we can all learn. Perhaps the twins will speak French before English." He flashed her a smile before looking down again.

Regina frowned as she looked over the options. "Robin, there's a lot of dishes that use wine. I don't care if it's mostly burned off or whatever. I…I don't want to risk anything with the babies."

He sighed, nodding. "I should've looked over the menu better. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she assured him. "The thought was sweet but maybe we can have our taste of Paris after I give birth?"

"Of course. We can go wherever else you want," Robin said, already pushing out his chair.

She grew sheepish as she considered what she wanted. Or rather, what she suspected the Beans already wanted. "I really, really want pizza. I think my cravings have started."

"Then we'll get a pizza and we'll eat it on the boardwalk so we can continue watching the water and the stars. How does that sound?" He stood, holding out his hand to her.

"Perfect," she said, leaning against him as she wrapped her hand around his arm. She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked to the front of the restaurant to settle whatever tab they had.

About a half hour later, Robin and Regina sat on a bench by Any Given Sundae with a pizza box between them. She wore his sports jacket to ward off the chill down by the lake as she ate her slice, moaning. "This is so good."

"I have to agree," he said, taking out another slice as he ignored how his cock twitched at her moan. "Sometimes I forget that simple can be the best."

She smiled. "It's not that I needed simple. I just needed something without lots of wine."

He hummed, glancing down at her stomach and thinking of their unborn children. "True. We have to keep the Beans safe and sound."

"That we do," she agreed, finishing her slice. She leaned closer to him. "But enough about them. Everything will be about the Beans once they arrive. Let's talk about you."

"Me? What about me?"

"Well, you know I really want to go to Paris. But what about you? What's your dream vacation?"

He paused, considering her question. It was something he hadn't thought about it a long time, usually wanting to make Marian and now Regina happy. So he thought about all the places in the world before answering: "Australia. I've never been down under."

"I'd love to go down under too," she said before crinkling her nose. "Though I don't look forward to such a long flight."

"Yeah, that is a down side. But I'm sure it's easier to endure onboard a luxury jet," he replied, bumping her shoulder with his.

She grinned. "I guess luxury makes everything bearable."

"Usually," he said. "But I don't think we'll be going to Australia anytime soon. Not until the Beans are older."

"That's probably a good idea." Regina scooted closer and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her against him.

They watched the lake in silence, Robin's hand rubbing her arm and her hand rubbing his thigh. After some time, she asked: "Why did you chose to come here to Storybrooke? Of all the places in the US, why here?"

He smiled as he rested his cheek against her hair. "Midas convinced me to come out here. I started Sherwood in Nottingham and he invested in it, saying we would do better in the US. He told me to come to Storybrooke with him. I figured I could stay here for a few years and then expand into a major city."

"You did do that," she said, no doubt thinking of his West Coast operations in San Diego. "But why stay here?"

"I fell in love," he replied, motioning to the forest behind him. He recalled sitting in his apartment in the city, staring at the trees and longing to live amongst them. Once he realized Sherwood was established and his net worth kept going up along with his bank account, Robin contacted a real estate agent and started to buy property to be surrounded by what he loved.

He then thought of Marian and glanced down at Regina, staring right into her beautiful brown eyes. Robin's smile softened. "And then I kept falling in love."

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "I'm glad you ended up in Storybrooke. God knows what my life would be like without you."

"Well, glad we'll never have to find out," he said, holding he even closer. "I know you were raised here but did you ever consider leaving Storybrooke?"

"I did, especially when I was teenager. All I wanted to do was move to New York and live the life of a high-powered executive and live in all those fancy apartments you see in movies. But then I got the job at Blanchard Financials and I realized that I could live that life here in Storybrooke," she replied.

"What about after…everything?" he asked, knowing she would know what he meant.

She was quiet for some time before nodding against his shoulder. "I thought about getting away from here, trying to get a fresh start. Daddy was for it and I interviewed for a nanny position in Boston. But then he was getting weak and complained of pain in his stomach. When he was diagnosed with cancer, I tried to convince him to move to Boston. But he lived here his whole life…"

"So he wanted to stay here," Robin filled in. "And you couldn't leave him."

"I withdrew from consideration in the Boston job and Jefferson hired me a couple months later. And I'm really glad I stayed." She lifted her head and kissed him.

He pushed her hair back as he nibbled on her lower lip. She opened up easily, almost sitting in his lap. Robin held her close, drinking her in as they made out on the bench by the lake.

He really was glad he decided to stay in Storybrooke.

A/N: A little family fun as well as some Outlaw Queen goodness for you all after such a heavy chapter last time! I hope you all enjoyed it!

I'm going to be off to California for the rest of the week for a work conference (and a little fun on Friday). So if I don't respond to your review right away, just know I read it and that I'll get to it soon.

Have a happy Monday!

-Mac