Regina is a nervous wreck.

She's worried about them both, Henry and Robin. Didn't realize how much she worried about Robin until he left and she realized it might be the last time she sees him. And somehow she's able to split her panic between losing Henry, losing Robin, or losing both of them.

She had heard footsteps and saw the combat boots from under the door. Once. He walked right past their door, turned around and walked back.

She hopes to god he doesn't come back.

Children keep finding their way into her classroom when he first leaves. Little taps, whispers, begs for her to open.

There's anxiety every time she opens that door - waiting, worrying a shooter will appear from the corner and catch them this time.

But they have been lucky. There are seven more children here now. Sophie is on the phone with a police officer working right outside. He has their location but tells them they aren't able to get through the window yet.

"Another student tried to get out the window across the hall," she whispers. "A shooter caught them trying to escape and shot at them. They don't want us to risk it yet."

So for now, they are staying here. But the police know their location and the SWAT team is gearing up, and the police are telling them everything is going to be okay.

But then there's an explosion and gunfire and Regina loses her damn mind. She walks toward the door, Sophie Cranston nearly tackling her, her thin arms surprisingly strong as she holds her back. "Ms. Mills, No! We have to stay!"

"My son ," she reminds.

"Your boyfriend has him," Sophie says simply, as if it's not even a question that Robin and her are together.

"He could be hurt too!" she whispers heatedly back. She knows she's being a child, and thank god Sophie Cranston was practically born an adult, because in this moment someone has to be the mature one.

"If you run out you risk everyone getting hurt," Sophie says, her green eyes focusing on Regina's, pleading. "Just wait."

Before Regina can say anything she feels her phone vibrate.

A text. From Robin, thank god, Robin.

Henry safe. He got out. Waiting for you.

And the relief over her son is almost staggering, blinding for a second.

She texts back frantically.

Thank you god Robin I'm so scared.

thank you thank you thank you i can never repay you for this

I love you so much, god I love you

Gradually her relief dissipates because Robin hasn't told her where he is.

Are you safe?

He's not responded or read anything. Fear sets in.

Robin?

"Sophie ask the police if an eight year old escaped the school and if he was with anyone else," she whispers.

Sophie does as instructed, spinning around to hide from Regina (in case it's bad news, she assumes). That black hair whips around as she spins, then forms the perfect shield from Regina, as she cannot see her face, can only hear the hushed tones begging for news and no doubt saying her teacher's mental state is currently compromised.

A few seconds later Sophie turns back around, looking relieved.

"Six boys got out from the basement, the officer doesn't know their name. He said a teacher helped, he thinks, pushed them through a little basement window. Teacher still down there. He was still there after the explosion and guns."

Six. Henry's gym class has roughly thirty children, only six escaped, and her son is most likely one of them.

Because of Robin.

She has no doubt he's the man they mistook as a teacher.

Fuck.

There's a loud boom then, not right outside the door, but close, perhaps in the main atrium, somewhere where it echos and reverberates loudly. Sophie's eyes widen as she walks toward the door, shielding Regina from it, as if she's anticipating that she try to run through it again. But Regina just shakes her head and grits her teeth. The idiot teenager is right, after all. She can't go running after Robin, as much as she loves him, any rescue mission she attempts would be suicidal and possibly hurt him in the process.

She has to wait it out.

"Police got inside," Sophie whispers, "They are planning an ambush. They want us to get underneath our desks just in case things get bead."

But some of the kids are too injured to crouch, and they have a very wounded Brian to tend to, so all anyone does is crouch down, sit on the floor and wait.

Silently.

And then they hear footsteps down the hallway.

It's difficult to tell exactly, but Regina just knows it's one of them. And the footsteps aren't just walking down the hallway, they stop, then start again.

"Sophie tell the police they are coming. We have to get you kids out."

Sophie whispers something and then looks up, whispering first to other students and then to Regina. Very softly, considering the footsteps outside. "We open a window. They tell us when it's safe. And if someone tries the door we all just run."

But Brian is too injured to move, so Regina knows she won't be escaping at all.

She will be staying here, waiting, hoping whoever opens that door decides to take her hostage instead of killing her.

"I want everyone by the window ready," she breathes back. "That means you too, Sophie."

"I'm not leaving—"

"Sophie, I've got it," she mouths, pointing to the window. "Get over there now."

But Sophie doesn't move, just stares at her defiantly, her hand on Brian's arm.

It's useless to argue with her, and they have little time, so Regina just shakes her head and tilts her head to look under the door again. She is just in time to see a pair of combat boots walking and stopping in front of the custodial closet.

And then opening the door.

She sees him walking toward her door and points at the classmates, mouthing a very clear OUT!

And the students don't need to be told twice, all but Sophie jumping out the window, not quietly, but who cares about quiet now?

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THERE!"

Sophie grabs Regina's forearm tightly. Sophie doesn't know Robin's voice as well as she does, but she knows well enough that he has a British accent, and her green eyes widen, her perfectly white teeth biting her bottom lip.

Regina focuses on breathing. And then she cannot help but do what Robin asked her not to, and peel back the paper covering the window to her door, peering out discreetly, she hopes.

The gunman has hands raised in the air, gun on a strap on his shoulder, looking terrified. She can't see Robin from this vantage point and has no idea how he's been able to hold him like this.

"You are shooting at children," she hears Robin say in a voice full of vein, seething anger she doesn't think she's ever known from the man. "Don't tell me you aren't doing anything."

The gunman makes some argument, and then he's taking his gun off, and… unloading it?

Robin must have a gun. It's all she can think of. Or maybe he's holding that box cutter to someone's throat. She can't be sure, whatever it is, the gunman is surrendering his weapon, they are safe.

She's breathing a sigh of relief as she hears gunfire and shouting. That shooter who had surrendered his gun is running past her classroom, grabbing the (thankfully unloaded) gun as he darts past, and fuck everything, she knows he's running toward Robin.

Fuck everything, she rips the entire paper out the window and looks. Before Sophie can even argue, she's opening the door and peering out in time to see Robin getting attacked. There's a hopefully lifeless body behind him, and shit, there's blood, and she hopes it's not Robin's.

But he's losing a struggle, he's getting beaten and strangled. Regina eyes the toolkit, the hammer Robin told her to use if she couldn't open the classroom windows.

She grabs it and for once Sophie doesn't say a word, just nods silently.

It's a blur after that.

Regina has always had a temper, but it's never been quite like this, where the anger takes over and she can't feel her legs moving, can't hear anything except the rush of blood whooshing through her temples. It's all heart pounding terror as her body moves of its own volition.

She sees red, every breath a vengeful, blind rage.

Robin is down, and some asshole has his hand wrapped around his neck as the other grabs at the gun in his hand.

And all she can think is Not Robin.

Of all the people to die today — or any day — let it be anyone else, let it be her, not the wonderful man who just sacrificed his life for a child that isn't even his.

Someone that perfect can't die.

She hasn't even gotten a chance to thank him, to tell him how incredible she thinks he is, to give him well-deserved praise not only for saving Henry but for a thousand other moments through her life.

It's so unfair, if he dies—

She can't even process the idea of losing him, he's too much a part of her.

The only thought she has as she looks at the back of that man's skull and aims is Not Robin.

Robin can't die.

She can barely feel her arm, isn't sure any of this is really happening, that she's really swinging the hammer until the very moment of impact.

There's a sickening splat, the hammer digs in deep to his skull, the sound of a strangled gasp as he falls over. Everything reverberates and she feels alive again, suddenly aware of her arms and the weight of the hammer as she aims and cracks down hard against his skull again.

And again.

"R'gina!" Robin gasps, stuttering as he tries to stand. "Love, stop! He's gone."

She hits the man just once more, as hard as she can, and then looks over at Robin.

He's trying to stand up, still holding the gun, and Regina realizes he needs help and rushes to give it to him, offering a shoulder for him to lean on and hurries him back into her room.

Her classroom is empty now, and Regina hopes to god it means someone was there to help Brian and Sophie out.

Regina shuts the door and locks it, gives herself a moment to just wrap her arms around Robin and hug him tightly.

"Where is everyone else?" Robin asks.

"Safe. Police cleared them to exit through the window," she whispers, still hugging him tight.

"Why didn't you leave?" he asks, and if she didn't know it, she would think he sounded upset with her.

"I saw everything from the classroom, I had to help," she replies softly.

"God, Regina you should have. I wanted you safe more than anything."

She's livid at the idea of him expecting this of her. Doesn't he know by now how she feels? How could she ever…?

She pulls out of the embrace enough to stare daggers at him, to make sure he knows how ridiculous it is.

"What in the hell was I supposed to do, just sit back and watch you suffer and die out there?" He starts to tell her Yes, that's exactly what you were supposed to do but she waves her hand to stop his talking. "No, you wouldn't have left me, and I sure as hell wasn't going to leave you. We lost enough people today, I'm sure. I couldn't lose you, too."

"I'm sorry, I just got scared, okay?" Robin asks, pulling her into another hug. "Don't be mad, darling, I just wanted you out of here."

This hug is tighter, deeper, before was a bit at an odd angle, but she's flush against him now, wrapped tightly. And that's when she feels the warm wetness around his middle.

She thinks back to the bullets, the blood when she helped Robin off the ground, and she just knows.

It's his blood.

He's been shot.

Shit, he nearly died saving her.

"You're shaking," Robin whispers, his hand smoothing over her cheek. Soft, gentle. Loving. Even at a time like this.

"You're bleeding ," she croaks. "A lot."

Robin urges her back into his arms, and she then notices he's leaning against the wall for support. Shit.

.::.

"I'm alright, darling," Robin whispers, but he's not sure of that, really. He slumps further against the wall. "Just glad you're okay."

"I'm not okay if you aren't," she whispers back, " I can't imagine my life with you not in it."

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispers back.

But is he? His head is in the clouds, blood is dripping down his side, his thigh, leaking into his shocks and shoes. He doesn't dare look down at his bloodied clothes. If he does, Regina will notice how much he's lost, she will know that he's fading.

He feels the need to tell her now, make his confession, while he's still lucid, let her know of the feelings he tried so hard to hide.

"Listen, Regina, I said I love you and I meant it—"

"GET YOUR HANDS UP!" a voice screams, and oh no, they aren't out of this yet, not by a long shot.

Robin freezes for a second, worried it's the voice of one of those gunmen.

But it's not the shooters. It's the police, crouched on the other side of the window, their weapons aimed at Robin.

Right. Because Robin has a gun slung around his shoulder, they think he's one of them.

"No!" Regina cries, throwing herself in front of Robin, in front of the officers. "Don't shoot! He's a good guy! He saved us, he got the gun from them, don't—"

Robin's hands are in the air as he struggles to stay standing. It was easier when he was leaning against Regina and the door. But now the police are here, and the wound to his thigh definitely making itself known, the one in his side equally painful.

An officer yells at Regina, and he's able to whisper something back to her, a promise that it will be okay, just put your hands up, love.

Once she does, an officer approaches, grabs the gun off his shoulder, then begins to pat him down, grimacing when he reaches the bloodied wound.

"Sorry," the young policeman whispers. "Had to make sure."

He presses a radio button and whispers, "Two teachers, in 105, male needs immediate medical."

Robin isn't going to correct him on exactly who he is, it's not important at the moment, anyway.

"Can you make it out of here on your own?" the other officer asks.

Robin just nods blankly, daring to ask, "The elementary school, my son—"

"Safe," the man assures. "Again, can you get through that window? You're losing a lot of blood. "

"I can do it," he promises, fuck his leg and the slight drop, he's not waiting for paramedics.

"Then the two of you, go now."

The officer is pushing him as he hangs by the door, whispering more orders into his radio.

Regina helps him out of the window — strong, she is, he never really realized how strong until she's nearly carrying him out the window. He doesn't have to put any pressure on his leg, she insists on making him use her as a crutch.

And then they are on the school lawn, darting to safety beyond a police blockade, him still limping with an arm around her.

Once they are out, once a paramedic is there and the much-needed adrenaline wears off, that's when Robin is made aware of the pain he hasn't let himself feel.

He knows he can rest now. Regina is safe, Henry is safe, Roland is safe.

"I need you to take care of Roland," he hears himself say.

He sees the panic on her face as he slurs the words out. She's protesting, arguing something, he hears her begging Don't you dare die on me, and Robin fights to smile, tries to will himself to swear he won't. But he can't process much over the pain and tidal wave of exhaustion overpowering him.

"Promise me. About Roland," he whispers.

He sees her nod, and it's all he needs to know.

Darkness spirals from behind his eyes until he can't see anything. His body goes limp, the last thing he can feel is Regina's soft fingertips through his hair.

.::.

He's faintly aware of noises and sounds then, of a paramedic talking to him, failing to find a vein, he remembers the roof of the ambulance, bars, wires hanging down, the familiar feel of pain medication taking over.

And then he stops fighting it, stops trying so hard to stay awake, and just lets his consciousness leave him.

When he wakes, it's the beep, beep, beeping of a machine next to him that he hears first, and then he sees blinding light, everything blues and then shifts into focus.

"Robin?"

He hears her before he sees her, tilts his head to the direction to find her seated on the little couch in the corner of the room.

"Hello, love." His voice sounds rough and gritty, throat feels dry and raw, but it doesn't matter. She's here.

"Oh thank god!" Regina nearly lunges towards him, the cords in his arm pull and twist; he hurts, but he doesn't care. Her arms are around him, kissing every inch of exposed skin it seems she can find, his hands, his neck, his brow, his cheek.

He lifts his hand to wrap around her, feel her solid and safe in his arms.

"The boys?" he asks, when he can find his breath.

She's still kissing him all over, and he's vaguely aware of the dull ache in his side as she touches him too roughly, but he doesn't care, not at all, when she's all around him like this.

If he did die, he assumes this is what heaven would be like.

She ends with his lips, her mouth pressing against his with passion and heat. But she doesn't deepen it. He doesn't either. After all, they are just friends.

Or they were, on the morning of her birthday. Now… everything feels different.

"Sorry," she whispers, pulling back, obviously mistaking his surprise for dislike. "I just…" she shakes her head. "I shouldn't be kissing you, you just woke up. I just needed to, just for a moment."

"Don't ever apologize for kissing me." Robin urges her towards him again for another brief peck.

He watches her blush as she cups his cheek, watches her smile deeply for a second, before she answers his earlier questions.

"The boys are safe. Both of them. It wasn't easy but Mrs. Lucas got them to sleep. Just spoke to her about a half hour ago. They were scared at first, though the doctors said you were going to be just fine, and that settled Roland. Henry… he's a bit older, and he was worried, but he still managed to sleep."

Robin grimaces. "Poor Roland. Poor you, too. This is not a very happy birthday."

Regina shakes her head. "He said he made a birthday wish for us to be safe and alive, so he feels quite responsible for our survival. He's a very optimistic boy."

"How soon before I can go home to him?" Robin asks.

"Not too long, actually. A week, they think. You lost a lot of blood, but no major organs hit. The gunshot wound to your thigh was a through-and-through." She breathes in slowly. "We are lucky."

"How about everyone else?" he asks.

"It's all over." she assures. "Two of the shooters are in custody, the rest died. Including..." She frowns. "I killed that man, Robin."

He knew it, could tell from the cracked skull, the blood and bits of flesh. But he had hoped she would never find out, somehow. She looks guilty now, as if she's waiting for him admonish her. He recalls how he had to tell her to stop as she hit him with that hammer over and over.

She bites her bottom lip nervously, and he knows. She's feeling guilty.

"He was attacking me," he reminds. "And he was going to go after you next, you and the children. He could have killed them all. You had no choice."

Regina blows out a frustrated breath and flares back at him defiantly. "I know. I don't care, I'd kill him a thousand times over. I'll sleep well knowing I killed him." She says the words forcefully, but he does not miss the quiver in her jaw.

"It's not your fault," Robin repeats, ignoring her scathing I know . "It's not, Regina."

A single tear drops down her face, and she wipes at it angrily. "I would have kept hitting him until there was nothing left if not for you," she admits. "I had the excuse of defending myself but…" She shakes her head. "I wanted him to suffer . "

"So did I." Robin weaves his fingers through hers, playing a bit with hers, the way he used to. "That's normal, love. It doesn't make you a bad person. That man was terrorizing an entire school."

"No one saw it coming," Regina sighs. "We were totally unprepared for something like this. These things aren't supposed to happen in a small town."

"That reminds me. I don't want you working there anymore," Robin grimaces immediately, because it's not like he can make Regina do anything, and he doesn't mean to sound so barbaric, but the protective surge he feels for her in this moment is overwhelming. "I just mean, please don't work there anymore. It's not safe. How'd that many men sneak in with all those weapons?"

Regina relaxes, it seems, thankful for the shift in conversation away from her justified homicide into giving a blind recitation of facts. "One of the fire exits was broken, I guess a few kids knew and have been using it to sneak in and out. Felix Jones let the men in and helped smuggle in weapons and locks over the last few weeks. He's a senior, he... I don't know, his brother influenced him a lot, I suppose."

"How many didn't make it?" Robin cannot help but ask. And then he regrets it immediately when Regina's eyes well up. Shit.

She fights through the tears anyway, though her voice wavers. "Four students. And Jefferson Potter, he… um… "

Her faces pinches, tears flow, but she can't say the words. She needn't say them. It's obvious what happened.

"Oh, Regina, I'm so sorry." Robin never liked Jefferson Potter, possibly because four years ago Regina went on a few dates with him. Or because he hurt her when he blew her off soon afterwards. But now, it doesn't matter. He wasn't a bad man, and he's gone. And it's so unfair.

"It's okay," Regina croaks. "I'm okay. A few teachers and students are still in bad shape but we are hoping for the best. It could have been so many more. The kids are singing your praises, you know. You're a hero."

"Anyone would have done the same," he responds, but she won't let him have it. She's shaking her head. "They locked the administrative office and teachers lounge, they couldn't get down the hallway to where the classrooms were. But there were several other teachers in who were there. None of them did what you did. They helped hide the children around them, but they didn't run into gun fire to save others. You are a hero."

"It was for Henry," he reminds her. "Not just for anyone. He's like a son to me."

"He feels the same," Regina says, her voice all pitchy and broken. "As do I. We, we love you."

He feels his heart sink a bit at those words, in that context. She's letting him down slowly, reminding him she loves him as a family member, the way Henry does.

He should just take it, and be glad for what they have. But today taught him that he can't keep waiting for another time, another moment, things could come crashing down at any second. And in this moment, he needs her to know.

"Regina, I love you so much. I love you more than you know, you're everything to me, I—"

"I love you too," she interrupts, a smile spreading over her face as she grasps for one of his hands, but no, she doesn't get it.

"No, I'm in love with you, I have been for some time. And I'm sorry for saying it now, I know it's not the best timing, but I can't keep this up forever, I can't hide it anymore, I have to— "

He doesn't get to finish his rambling thought because she's kissing him, hard this time, deeply, opening her mouth swiping her tongue against his, and he almost can't believe it's happening, wonders if the pain medication is making him delirious.

"I am in love you, too," she says when she pulls away, her eyes twinkling, bright and wet. "Very much so."

It's sweet relief, because he's carried the burden of loving her for nearly a decade, and the weight of the secret nearly crushed him at times. But hearing that she loves him back is entirely overwhelming, has his heart pounding heavy, going dizzy in a way he is sure is not entirely related to pain medication.

"If I had known all it took was walking into gunfire to make you love me..." he kids, smiling back at her.

She doesn't smile back at all. In fact she looks mildly offended.

"This isn't new for me," she says, her voice choked up but defensive. "I've loved you since I got the flu and you spent an entire week at my place, crashing on my couch and caring for me and the child no one thought I could raise alone. I've loved you for so long, Robin, I—"

She loses her voice to choked sobs, then. Robin fights the pain, leaning up to wrap his arm around her and urges her to lie next to him.

She melts into his touch, pliant and willing as she cuddles against him, her head on his shoulder as she carefully avoids all wires and wounds.

"Me too," Robin admits with a sad chuckle. "I should have something a long time ago. I've pictured telling you before, and I can assure you it wasn't while I was lying in a hospital bed after a trauma of epic proportions."

"Well, those years were complicated," Regina reminds him with a little smirk that turns into a frown.

He knows what she's thinking, but before he can assure her it's nothing, her voice wavers, going apologetic.

"I tried to stop when Marian came back," she admits. "Tried, but I couldn't just stop loving you. When she accused us of having an affair I felt so guilty. We always said we were just friends and she was being ridiculous, but she wasn't. She was perceptive. She saw through me. I should have pushed you away, but I was selfish. I ruined her sobriety and your relationship, I know."

"No." Robin's hand is in her hair, stroking softly. He hasn't realized she felt guilt for this. She needn't though. Marian did see through them both, she knew they had feelings for one another. It did make him feel like a fucking awful person, at the time, being in love with someone while the mother of his child wanted to make it work. But in the years since Marian left, he's grown perspective. That relationship with Marin was doomed from the start. They didn't love one another that way , and without that love it was difficult to handle a child, Marian's addiction and her disease .

Regina knows most of this, she knows of Marian's struggle with drugs and alcohol, knows she also is bipolar, but he never told her the specifics of either or how he felt about Marian. So he tells her, "You could not have pushed me away. I was in love with you then. From the moment you came back to town, really. Or maybe since we were children, and I didn't really realize it until then. And we aren't to blame for Marian falling off the wagon anymore than we are for every other time it happened. I stayed with her during the pregnancy not because I loved her but because when she told me about her struggle, I was so worried she'd fall again and lose the child. Roland was magical, he pumped her full of happy hormones. She didn't have any trouble then. But as soon as he was born… it wasn't you, or us. It was the disease and the addiction. She's told me as much."

"Oh." He feels her relax beside him. He wonders how long she felt misplaced guilt over this issue. "Still, it was unfair of me, feeling what I did, and still seeing you all the time-"

"You weren't the only one feeling it," he reminds. "I was too, and if you're going to say you wished you would have pushed me away back then, I'm going to let you know it wouldn't work. I couldn't be away from you. I couldn't stop feeling what I did for you. If you had refused to see me, I think I would have ended things with Marian even sooner. You know how hard it was with her and Roland when he was an infant. You were..." he smiles and carresses her cheek. "You were the bright spot in my world. You kept me going, and helped me so much with my son. All I regret is not ending things with Marian sooner and telling you how much I loved you years ago. I kept waiting for the perfect time to ask you out, confess everything, ask if you wanted to try to be more than friends. But it was too hard to keep in after... everything. I was so scared of losing you before I said it, and I let you know during the worst possible moment."

"There's no bad moment to hear an I love you." Regina is still smiling, she looks lighter, happier. "Especially from someone you love."

He swoops in to catch her lips again, nearly laughing at how good it feels to touch her like this.

"You've no idea how many times I've thought of doing this," he admits, almost laughing at his good fortune, delirious with happiness. "I didn't think we'd get to ever do it. Especially today during..." he trails off, not wanting to remind her of what they went through. It's on the surface of his mind though, and it appears on hers too. She doesn't even react at the mention of what they went through, she just nods instead.

"I don't think I realized how much I loved you until our lives were in danger." She's choked up, tears forming again. "All I could think about was how much I loved you and how I might not even get the chance to tell you how much you meant to me all these years. Thank you for everything you did every day, including today. I wouldn't have kept it together if it weren't for you. I... I don't know how we made it out alive."

She sounds terrified, and she has every right to be. He suddenly feels guilty for springing this on her when her emotions are high, when she's in the wake of a disaster. She should mourn.

"Regina, I want to be with you-" he starts.

"You have me." She holds him closer. "I'm not going anywhere."

He lets himself feel her, her body warmly pressed up to his as she settles against him, fits perfectly against him. God, he loves her so much it hurts.

"I know, darling. And I've wanted this for so long. But I really don't want to screw this up. Maybe we should put a pin in this for awhile and wait for those emotional wounds to heal."

Regina laughs wetly. God he loves the sound of her, he loves everything about her. So much that he can't help shifting and pressing a kiss into her hair.

How long will it take for them to heal from this? Will they ever truly recover?

"I've never told anyone why I have Henry," Regina breathes, interrupting his thoughts. "Most people wondered how I adopted a toddler when I was living in Manhattan as a twenty-six year old. Especially since I never seemed like the type. I'm sure you wondered how I did it and why I did it, didn't you?"

It's an odd shift in conversation, but certainly one that interests him. He chuckles and nods. He's always been curious as to why she adopted Henry when she was so young, when there was so much she wanted to do at her job in the city. She never talked of settling down or moving home until the moment she returned with Henry. It was odd, certainly, especially for those who knew her. It wasn't his place to ask, so he never did. He has waited for this moment, for her to confide in him.

"I knew Henry's mother. She was one of the first students I met. Very gifted, very bright. Homeless when I met her, she ran away from a bad group home. So happy when pregnant, you wouldn't believe it. She didn't have anyone else, but she knew she could raise him on her own. He was born, and she was doing great things. She got into Yale , had no idea how to do Yale with a baby, but she got in, fully funded; I was so proud. I babysat a bit so she could take a second job bartending to save up so she didn't have to work as much when the semester started. Then a drunk driver hit her when she was walking home from her shift, and just like that, her life was over. She had a will that left Henry in my care. It was a terribly tragedy, a shocking trauma, but it gave me my son."

"You never told anyone." Robin is utterly perplexed. "When people asked why you did this, when they said you were too young and it was foolish, you had the perfect response, but—"

"I never want Henry to know," she explains, shifting out of his embrace so he can see her face. She's stern on this, serious. It matters a lot to her. "I don't want him to think I got stuck with him. I adopted him. I want him to always believe it was my choice, because it was. If anyone thought I did it out of obligation, in a town this small? It might make its way to him. You're the only one I'm telling."

"No one else will ever know," Robin vows. "And, for what it's worth, you're an amazing mum, and the fact you kept all this to yourself for his benefit might make me love and admire you even more, if that was possible."

Regina rolls her eyes, but she's obviously touched, raising her hand to wipe a tear before continuing.

"Anyway, the point is, the best thing in my life happened while I was still grieving a terrible loss, and dealing with a trauma. Maybe becoming a new mother when you're still grieving wasn't the best way to start things, but look at Henry and me now."

"That's true." Hope blooms in his chest, clouded by guilt. He shouldn't get the right to be so happy, not now.

But he thinks she knows where she's going with this.

"I don't want to put a pin in this, Robin." Regina smiles, stroking his cheek. "We've waited long enough. We don't have to force it, but let's not run away from it either."

"Alright," Robin says, stroking her hair. "We'll do what comes naturally."

She meets his lips this time, her lips slightly parted and willing. And hell, he said he'd do what comes naturally. So he deepens the kiss, cups at the back of her neck and anchors her to him.

They get caught up in one another this time. One kiss turns into two, then three, then they are making out, exploring this new type of intimacy with one another.

God, can she ever kiss. Her lips are warm, her tongue swirls and carresses the inside of his mouth in a way he doesn't think he's had with anyone else. He has flashes he shouldn't, thoguhts entirely inappropriate for the mood and moment. She's beautiful, smart, witty, caring, generous, a natural mother. Now he can add an amazing kisser to the already impressive roster. And he knows how sensual she is, he could have guessed this, but there's nothing like being able to experience it himself.

He never wants to stop kissing her.

But he's weak and recovering, still in pain. And he's panting from a few light kisses, such that she has to pull away from him.

"Wow," she says, her own breath labored. "That was... wow."

He chuckles, the lack of air making him sputter and cough, and her eyes go wide with guilt.

"S'ok," Robin rushes to assure her. "Just lost my breath for a second."

He tries to draw her back for another kiss, but Regina shakes her head and pushes at his chest playfully.

"You need to rest."

He groans, a but deflated. "I need you."

"Speaking of that," she adds primly pulling away from him. "You're going to need a bit of rehab. No carrying anything for a few weeks, and your leg may be weak for awhile. And you're going to let me take care of you."

"Am I?" he asks playfully.

"Mhm. You and Roland are moving in with me until you are healed. Or we can move in with you until then if you'd rather."

It's sweet that she's offering, but he doesn't want to put her out. "It's fine, Regina. I can take care of myself and Roland for a bit."

"Non negotiable," she murmurs into his shoulder as she cuddles close to him. They don't do this every day, they don't do this ever, but it feels so natural, he almost forgets that Regina Mills planting a kiss to his neck is new, uncharted territory. "I love you, and I'm taking care of you. Plus I have no intention of letting you out of my sight any time soon."

"Well it sounds like I have no choice." He smiles at her and ruffles her hair. "I'd be glad to have you and Henry over to my house. For as long as you like."

Regina's home is a bit roomier than his, thanks to a thoughtful trust fund from her father that allows her to live decently on a teacher's salary. So it might have been more practical to move in with her temporarily. But if he's going to be handicapped, he prefers to limp around in his own home.

The nurse interrupts them then, scolding Regina and directing her right off the bed.

Regina is exhausted, it's clear the way she fights a yawn as she struggles to listen to the nurse, the way her body slumps against the arm of that little couch.

"You need to rest, darling. Go home and get into that bed of yours. I'll be right here."

"I don't want to go home yet." Robin can watches as her body tenses at the idea of leaving, in fact, and it occurs to him that she's not ready to return to an empty house.

"Alright, then stay with me, sneak back into this bed for awhile so I can hold you a bit before the next nurse yells at you."

She smiles and though she murmurs that she really shouldn't, and he needs to heal, she lets herself be talked back into bed beside him, cuddling up close. He feels sleep taking him almost immediately after she joins, a sense of relief and wholeness filling him, mixing with the morphine.

When he wakes, the sunlight is beating down on him, and Regina is gone.

For a moment he wonders if it was all a dream.

A medically induced fantasy of getting to talk and touch and kiss her, tell her what she meant to him.

He wouldn't be surprised, vivid dreams after the day they had, wouldn't that make sense?

He's about to call the nurse and just ask her if there even was a woman here last night at all.

How did she even get in? She's not immediate family, after all. He has her written down as his emergency contact but is that enough?

It could have easily been a hallucination.

"Robin!" Henry's voice lifts him from his panic attack, and thank god, he's safe. He braces himself for a hug but Henry stops at the sight of him, looking a bit panicked and unsure.

He wonders if Henry has ever been to a hospital before.

He's about to tell him to come here and hug him when he hears the familiar footsteps of his son.

"Daddy!" Roland shouts as he runs clumsily, carrying a big stack of colorful paper Robin assumes are gifts for him. He drops them all on the floor when he sees Robin, those sweet wide eyes filled with fear.

"It's okay. I'm okay," Robin says softly. "I'm so glad to see both of you."

He hears the familiar clack of heels and sees Regina hanging in the doorway.

She's giving him his time with the boys, it seems.

"Does it hurt?" Henry asks timidly.

"Not anymore," Robin assures. Truthfully he's still plenty sore, but he's not sure he could feel anything but happiness in this moment.

Roland runs towards him, throwing his arms around his father. "I am sorry that you got shot, Daddy!"

"Me too," Robin whispers. "But the good thing is we are all safe." He looks up to Regina and smiles. It's too early to refer to them as this, maybe, but in another way this is what they've always been, whether they said the words or not. "Our whole family is safe."

Henry unfreezes at those words, wrapping around Robin in a tight hug.

"Thank you for saving me, Robin," Henry whispers into his chest. "I'm glad you're my family."

It's absurd to think of himself as lucky after what they've all been through, but in this moment, with his two boys in his arms, and Regina's soft eyes locking with his, it's hard to feel anything else.

There's a long road to recovery ahead, and it won't be easy. They all have scars from that nightmare of a day, scars that won't heal quickly. But they have one another to lean against, to confide in.

And together they can get through almost anything. Robin is certain of that.