The early morning was always Robin's favourite time of day back in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest. Not because she liked to get up and out for an early start before anyone else was awake – though that was a minor plus to it – but rather because she loved lazing around in bed with the gentle morning sunlight creeping through the blinds over her bed, warming her through the sheets and catching her on the face in that perfect moment of waking up, naturally, all on your own.
The room she was staying in at her aunt Regina's was designed differently than her past homes so the sun light didn't quite reach her bed from where she was lying across the room from the window, but the morning feeling was still there all the same. It still made her feel a little dazed and warm and happy. Even the light rumbling of cars from various people heading out for the day wasn't enough to mute the birds chirping in the distance or the whistle of the occasional wind breeze slipping through the windows open crack. If anything the vehicle noise just helped wake her up and Robin smiled to herself, caught in that sluggish daze of not quite being awake but no longer asleep at the same time. Rolling over on the mattress, Robin's smile stretched when she felt the warm shape of a second body lying closely to her.
On the other side of the small bed, Alice had a sweet smile of her own pulling on the corner of her lips when she felt strong arms wrap around her and she was pulled closer to the other woman's body. She instantly entwined their limbs together, wrapping one of her legs around Robin's and reaching her hand to rest between Robin's shoulder blades while the other to mixed and twisted in with her strands of hair stretched out on the pillow behind her head. She felt warm and perfect and moved forward, pressing her face against Robin's neck and nuzzling her nose into her chin and jaw slightly like an affectionate kitten.
It was such a familiar feeling, being together like this. It brought back so many fond memories of times they spent wrapped in one another's embrace and Alice let out a little hum as she felt Robin's hands begin to push up her top and stroke the skin along her back and sides, trailing her fingers over her stomach and tickling the sensitive skin of her sides teasingly. It sent a shiver down Alice's spine as she twisted around, rubbing her lips against Robin's throat, poking her tongue out just enough to trace the front of her throat before tilting back to tease a sensitive spot just under her chin.
"Mmm," Robin moaned, reaching and sliding her hands down passed the waistband of Alice's pyjama shorts and twisting her body so they were level and their noses brushed against each other lightly.
"Love…" Alice whispered dreamily, leaning forward in a daze and closing the space between them at the same time as Robin moved to do the same and meet her.
Their lips met and for a sweet moment there was a blissful stillness in the world, like they were the only ones left in it, and a strong warmth growing inside both of them that rushed throughout their limbs. And then, just as they began to deepen the kiss in that glorious moment together and transform it into something more than just a kiss, there was a strong pulse bursting free. It spread out from the two of them and stretched in every direction, warming them through and swooping towards the rest of the world. There was a slight brush of wind along with the heat, forcefully enough that it felt like they were actually being hit with something and it was the wind more than the heat that knocked the last of the sleep from the girls minds and they broke apart just as they realised what it was they had done.
"Oh no," Robin gasped, eyes widening with dawning realisation of what that little morning kiss had broken.
"Did we just…?" Alice whispered, blinking at her, faces still inches apart.
"I think we did." Robin croaked.
"… Woops…" Alice mumbled, because what else was there to say? Slowly she reached up, touching her lips gently, like she was still trying to figure out what exactly they had done.
"Henry!" Robin gasped.
Alice opened her mouth but no words came out. For a moment they were frozen in place. Neither could believe what they had done. It had to be a dream, a mistake, a wild imagination or… Something!
But when the moment passed and they realised it was true, and they really had broken the curse with their sleepy true love kiss… Pure horror set in.
"Henry!" Robin repeated, this time with a frightened cry.
Suddenly they were up, out of the bed, scrambling to get out from the sheets and pillows in a desperate rush. Alice's legs got tangled in the covers when she tried to jump off, causing her to fall face first to the floor and making Robin skid to a stop halfway to the door, running back to her side in order to make sure she was okay.
"I'm fine!" Alice said, waving her off. "Go! Hurry! If we can reach him-! I mean- Maybe my magic can save him if we get there in time!"
Robin paused as that information set in before nodding firmly and jumping back over to her wardrobe in order to hurry up and get dressed. Before now, she'd just been in a blind panic, thinking of nothing but getting to her cousins side, as if merely being there would make up for things in someway or hoping to give him one last apology but now they had an actual plan, she found she could think more clearly and focus on what needed to be done. Now there was actual hope that maybe this wouldn't end in tragedy with her aunt hating her. Not to mention with Robin hating herself.
If anything happened to Henry, Robin would never be able to forgive herself for it.
At the wardrobe, Robin grabbed the first thing she could, which turned out to be a soft black dress that stopped short above the knees and was normally saved for formal evenings out. She pulled on some hiking boots, not bothering with socks or underwear as she turned to find Alice in only her brown skirt, scrambling around the room for her top. At any other time Robin would have enjoyed the view, but for now, all she could think of was the time they were wasting looking for a piece of material they hadn't even thrown around yet was somehow still missing.
"Here!" Robin said, grabbing the first top from her wardrobe she could reach and throwing it back at her.
Alice pulled it on – a green button up shirt made of a smooth silk that matched Robin's eyes – at the same time as she jumped out the door and darted down the stairs, Robin closely following at her heels. She paused only at the bottom to pull on a pair of slip on shoes that probably belonged to Roni since her own shoes were also missing and they didn't have the time to pause and look for them properly.
Then they were throwing themselves outside, not even bother to grab anything else in their haste as Robin reached over, taking Alice's hand and pulling her down the street. They started their search.
At first she was just running blindly, not really paying attention to where her feet were taking her because she was still planning the apology she was going to give her aunt when she next saw her, after she had fixed this mess she had made, of course. But then the street began to look more familiar and she suddenly realised she was heading towards Jacinda's apartment. She had been running without thought but now it made sense to go there first. It was the closest place she could think of that Henry might be. If he was at his own apartment out of town… Well, there was no way they would make it in time.
"HENRY!" Alice began shouting. Despite holding her hand, Robin almost forgot she was there and jumped at the sound of her sudden voice.
Robin wanted to shout along side her but her mouth was dry and rubbery. She could barely get the breath to her lungs, let alone manage any words. So instead she tightened her grip on Alice's hand – afraid if she loosened it then she might lose her and be left alone – and ran in towards the building, throwing herself inside and jumping the steps two at a time. If Alice had been a fraction too slow to keep up with her, then she might have tripped, but she somehow managed to stay upright and followed Robin all the way to Jacinda and Sabine's apartment, stopping only when they couldn't go any further.
Then they began to knock. Or rather, beat on the surface of the door like a drum solo at a heavy metal concert.
"HENRY!" Alice shouted, kicking as well as punching the door.
"OPEN THE DOOR!" Robin called, copying Alice and kicking the lower part of the door as hard as she could.
They kept at it until the door was pulled open without warning and the girls nearly fell inside. They stumbled back just in time, gasping and looking up to find Queen Tiana standing in front of them on the other side of the threshold, looking slightly baffled and surprised but also a little frustrated as well, which was understandable considering that they had almost broken down her door. And it wasn't just that. Once the initial shock wore off, everyone was bound to be more than a little irritated, especially after having been thrown into this curse for two long years of their lives.
"What the hell-" Tiana began.
"Where's Henry? Is he here? We need to find him? Henry?! Where is he?!" The girls babbled over the top of one another.
"Woah! Girls! Henry isn't here!" Tiana shouted over the top of them. "Now what is going on, what happened to the curse-? Hey!"
Midway through Tiana's question the girls had turned and ran back down the stairs, their hands reaching and blindly search for one another and grappling air for a second before finding and clasping tightly, drawing strength and speed from one another's hold once they were joined. They jogged the steps, Robin stumbling when she landed awkwardly on the ground floor but quickly righting herself and darting out the door with Alice quickly following behind.
Once again, they turned and began to run blindly in one random direction with Robin in the lead and Alice hurrying behind her. She wasn't sure where she was going and this time, it really did seem they were running without a set destination, until she was even stalling her steps slightly. Robin was a fraction away from giving up completely when Alice took over for her. Tightening her grip on her hand, Alice dashed ahead and began to pull Robin behind her, taking sharp turns and pushing any and everyone out of the way, both normal citizens who just happened to move into town at the wrong moment in time and uncursed fairy tale citizens still getting their bearings at having the curse finally broken in and around them.
At first, Robin had no idea where Alice was taking her. She could barely pay attention to where she had been leading them, let alone when someone else had control. So with Alice firmly in charge, she gave up even trying to pay attention and instead she began to wonder if Alice even had magic in this land to attempt to cure Robin's cousin. Surely if Henry was still cursed then Alice still had her magic to undo it, right? But would it be strong enough to save him? What if the curse was still strong but Alice's magic was weak? What if Alice's magic truly didn't work for whatever reason or what if the curse was just too strong for her even when she was fully powered?
Suddenly Robin imagined the look on her aunt's face if they couldn't save him in time. Would she just be devastated and saddened or would she be truly angry and disappointed as well? How long before she would even begin to forgive Robin for this, if she ever did? And what about Lucy and Jacinda? She'd never be able to face either of them again. She'd never be able to look any of them in the eye if they didn't find a way to save Henry!
Robin looked up as Alice dragged them through a sudden double set of doors. Even standing in the middle of it all, it still took Robin a moment to force herself to focus and take in her surroundings before she realised where they were. And even then it was only when she caught sight of a familiar face standing directly ahead of them that she realised Alice had taken them to the police station.
"Rumplestiltskin!" Alice gasped, rushing to the man's side from where he was talking to a dazed looking officer behind the front desk.
"Alice." Weaver said, looking up just in time for Alice to throw her free arm around his shoulders in a quick hug, still holding Robin's hand with the other. "Are you two alright?" He asked after she had pulled back, resting a hand on her arm as she did, as if to keep her from running off too quickly.
"Where's Henry?" Robin demanded.
"We need to find him." Alice said quickly. "He's in trouble." She had no idea how much Rumple knew about his grandson's poisoning but they didn't have time to explain it right now either.
"He's not here." Weaver said, glancing over his shoulder towards the desk. "Let me make a call-"
"We don't have time!" Robin snapped, sounding close to hysteria now.
"Robin, why don't you take a seat and calm down." Weaver said, reaching for her.
"No! I have to find him!" Robin finally let go of Alice's hand so she could run back out the door and into the streets.
Alice half turned to follow but stalled, glancing back at Weaver. "Go." He said quickly. "I'll call Roni, find out what's happened."
"Thank you," Alice said, already running for the door.
Outside, Alice nearly ran into where Robin was hovering on the other side of the door, glancing left and right blindly with tears filling her beautiful green eyes and flooding down her soft cheeks. Alice hated the sight of her crying like that, but when she went to reach out to try and comfort her with a gentle hold, Robin snatched at her hand instead, gripping her fingers tightly. She didn't even hesitate before starting back the way they came.
"Where are we going?" Alice gasped, hurrying to keep up beside her.
"I don't know!" Robin snapped.
"Robin! Stop!" Alice pulled Robin back. "You need to calm down!"
"I can't!" Robin snapped, turning to face her, tears almost blinding her as they streamed down her face as quickly as they were running. "This is my fault! It's all my fault!"
"It's my fault, too." Alice said, wrapping her arms around Robin and fighting tears of her own. Seeing Robin cry… Nothing in life should be as painful as watching the one you love fall apart in front of you.
Robin shook her head, shoulders shaking against her. "He's my cousin and I've killed him."
"Hey! He's my family too." Alice said, rubbing Robin's arms. "He's my dads alternative selves step son. We're practically brother and sister!"
Robin looked like she might laugh, but instead broke into more tears, struggling to contain them even with Alice's comforting embrace holding her tightly.
"I have to find him, Alice." Robin sobbed. "I just have to."
"We will. But we need to think it through." Alice glanced around. "He's not at Jacinda's. He's not at the station…"
"Roni's!" Robin gasped suddenly.
"Let's go." Alice said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it gently.
The two moved side by side once more this time, running the whole way and refusing to let go or move behind one another even for a second, no matter how many people got in their way. More than once they heard profanities being screamed after them for knocking into someone or forcing someone onto the road but they didn't bother looking back or slowing their pace. If anything, the screaming of others just made them push on even harder, to the point where they were running out of breath but still refusing to take it easy. They couldn't, not until they had made it to Roni's.
They saw Regina before they saw Roni's front door.
Robin stalled for just a second at the sight of her before she sprinted towards the older woman even faster than before, only coming to a sharp stop when Regina turned on the spot to see them. Without giving anything away, she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at them and looking mildly annoyed more than anything. Robin slowed to a complete stop in front of her, panting hard more from her earlier panic than the sprint that had followed. The run had wiped the tears from her face but Alice could still feel her shaking in her hand, squeezing slightly and leaving marks along her love's skin from her long lightly painted nails.
"Henry…" Robin gasped, voice cracking. "Is he… Is he…?"
Regina's expression quickly changed and she took a hurried step forward. "Oh no, Robin, he's fine! He's okay! We found a cure and gave it to him just before you broke the curse. Look, he's in there with Jacinda and Lucy."
Robin stepped around and looked through the window to see Henry laughing and hugging his family safely inside by one of the tables closest to the window. The sight of him left her weak in the knees. Robin felt her body slouched down on top of itself and took a step back, looking back towards her aunt.
"You girls couldn't even last two full weeks." Regina said, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow again. "Seriously?"
Robin opened her mouth to laugh with relief, and instead burst into more tears. She stood sobbing for barely a second when Alice was wrapping her arms around her once more in comfort, except this time it was a comfort she accepted. Robin allowed herself to slink down against her strong frame, burying her face on her shoulder and sobbing into the silky material of her own shirt, wrapping her arms around her waist and barely register the way her aunt was rubbing her back. She couldn't even hear the way she was quietly assuring her that everything and everyone were safe now, all thanks to her and Alice.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Henry said, stepping outside. "What's happened?"
"It's nothing, Henry. She's just a little emotional about the curse breaking," Regina smiled, still rubbing Robin's back gently.
"Hey, cous'." Henry said, walking over. "Good to be back, right?"
Nodding, Robin finally lift her head from Alice's shoulder and looked up at him. "I'm sorry…" She croaked, fighting the urge to keep crying, at least until she had gotten the apology out. "I nearly… I…"
"Come on," Henry smiled lightly at her. "You don't have to apologise for having true love."
Robin smiled back at him, feeling Alice lean towards her and place a soft kiss on her wet cheek, leaning forwards to rest her forehead against her temple and gently nuzzle her nose against the top of her jaw, all the while still holding her close. The tears were finally easing back now, along with the harsh pressure of guilt weighing her down, and Robin allowed her eyes to momentarily shut. She began taking a few deep breathes to steady her still rapid heartbeat.
It was alright. She told herself. Everything was okay now. They were safe.
The curse was broken.