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"Cora sat looking over the documents on her desk. She had a full schedule today and so many things to do. She looked at the request to have a second playground built at Storybrooke Elementary. She rolled her eyes as she read the name on the request form. It was submitted by the principal, Ava Blanchard, the woman who was married to her ex-husband, Leopold Blanchard. The woman irritated Cora to no end. Always bad mouthing her to people and requiting unnecessary things for the school. Cora snapped out of her thoughts as the door to her office flew open.
"Hey, you can't to just barge in there!" Cora heard her secretary say as both people came into view. Cora scowled as she saw who stood before her. "Mayor Mills, I'm so sorry. I tried to…"
"Leave us Ashley." Cora said, dismissing the blond. Ashley only nodded and backed out of the room, closing the door behind her. She could tell by her tone that she was angry and she didn't want to add to that.
"So you think you can just barge into my office, unannounced." Cora snarled, as she looked at Robin.
"Long time Mayor Mills." Robin spat. Cora fumed at his tone and immediately stood from her seat
"You have some nerve coming into my office speaking to me like that."
"And you have some nerve keeping my child from me." Robin retorted as he continued to stand his ground.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" Robin questioned. "So you're really going to pretend like he isn't mine? Unbelievable!"
"Let me make one thing clear to you. That child is my daughter's, not yours. You're not even on his birth certificate. As far as he's concerned, you don't exist and it's going to stay that way."
"You underestimate me. I have no problem suing for my rights." Robin threatened.
"And you underestimate me, because I have no problem taking away your mother's house." Robin froze at this. He had expected Cora to threaten him, but his mother? This was an all time low, even for Cora. "Listening now are we?" Cora smirked.
"You're bluffing. That's not in your power. You may be powerful, but you're not that powerful." Robin challenged.
"No?" Cora asked. "Your mother has taken out loans time and time again. Loans of which she is no longer qualified for because of her bad credit. But being the exceptional mayor that I am, when she came begging practically on her knees asking me to override the bank, I complied. As easy as I did that, I can take it away. So you can either drop this and leave my office now, or you can start a war that you will not win. Do I make myself clear?" Robin only stood there, seething. "I do have Storybrooke Bank on direct call." Cora threatened, picking up the telephone.
"Fine." Robin said through clenched teeth.
"Good." Cora said, putting the phone back on the receiver. "Ashley." The young secretary came running in as soon as her name was called.
"See Mr. Locksley out and make sure that he doesn't bother me again." Cora instructed, taking her seat.
Regina sat at her desk typing away at her article for tomorrows issue of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror. She glanced at her watch, noticing the time.
"Shit." She muttered, packing up her things. She hadn't realized how late it was. It was already 5pm, time to pick up Roland from after school. Regina rushed over to the school knowing she was late again. As Regina pulled up in front of the school, she saw that Roland was the last child there sitting with his teacher. She got out of her black Mercedes and walked over to them.
"Mommy!" Roland beamed excitedly as he ran over and attacked his mother's legs.
"Hi baby." Regina bent down to his level and kissed his forehead. Roland threw his arms around her shoulders and Regina rose up with him, resting him comfortably on her hip.
"You're late... again." Mary Margaret said as she handed the sign-out sheet to Regina. Regina rolled her eyes as she signed the sheet and handed it back to her. "This is the third time this week Regina. He's supposed to be picked up by five."
"You don't think I know that?" Regina snapped. "So I'm fifteen minutes late, sue me." Regina picked up Roland's backpack and turned to leave.
"Bye bye Ms. Blanchard." Roland said, sweetly as he waved to his teacher.
"Goodbye Roland. I'll see you tomorrow." Mary Margaret answered him, with a far nicer tone than she had just used with his mother. Regina carried Roland to the car and strapped him into his car seat. She got in the driver seat and put on her seat belt.
"Mommy?" Roland asked, as Regina started the ignition and drove away from the school.
"Yes sweetie." Regina answered looking at him through the rearview mirror.
"How come you don't like Ms. Blanchard?" Roland asked innocently. Regina sighed at his question before answering.
"It's not that I don't like her, baby. She just made mommy mad, that's all." Regina said, hoping he would be satisfied with that answer.
"Oh." He finally said. "Can we get ice cream?" Roland asked hopefully.
"Sure my little munchkin." Regina agreed, happy that he had let the first subject go. Regina drove to Granny's and Roland ran to Ruby as soon as soon as he saw her.
"Hi Wuby!" Roland said and the waitress bent down to hug the energetic toddler.
"Hey squirt." Ruby said. "What can I get for you today?" Ruby asked, looking up to see Regina following close behind.
"Mommy says we can have ice cream!" Roland announced excitedly.
"Are you sure?" Ruby asked. "Your mommy never lets you have ice cream before dinner." Ruby said.
"But she did." Roland insisted. "Right mommy?" Roland asked, tugging on his mother's hand.
"Yes, I did." Regina told Ruby as she led them to a free table.
"See, I told you." Roland said, giggling.
"You sure did." Ruby said, bopping him on the nose. "So what kind will you be having?" Roland looked over at his mother, waiting for her to order for him.
"He'll have a sundae." Regina said simply. Regina looked over at her son bouncing in the booth with a huge grin on his face. Ruby was right. She usually didn't allow him to have ice cream before dinner but she felt bad for picking him up late. So when Roland had asked her for ice cream, she had caved. "So how was school today?" Regina asked while they waited. "What did you learn?"
"I learned a lot today mommy! I learned how to spell words."
"Really? And what words did you learn to spell?" Roland thought for a moment.
"I learned b-e-e and c-a-t and d-o-g." Roland recited.
"Oh wow. What a smart little genius I have here." Regina said, smoothing over his hair. Just then, Roland's eyes got wide as Ruby set the sundae in front of him.
"Is this all for me?" Roland asked in disbelief. Even at home he didn't get this much ice cream.
"Yes. Now what do you say?" Regina prompted him.
"Thank you." He said to Ruby as he picked up his spoon.
"Roland, I'm sorry I was late picking you up." Regina apologized as Roland stuffed his face with ice cream.
"That's okay mommy." Roland said after he swallowed. "I always know you're going to come." He licked his fingers before Regina wiped them and his face.
"I'm going to do better from now on. I promise." She told him seriously.
"But mommy, you're the best mommy ever." Roland said, not understanding the effect his words had. Regina's heart melted as she watched him lick his spoon. "Thank you baby, and you know what?" She asked him and he looked at her for the answer.
"You are the best son I could ever ask for."
"Robin!" Marian called angrily as she heard the front door open and close. She was livid. She had woken up this morning and Robin had been gone so she had been cooped up in the house by herself all day. Robin huffed as he ascended the stairs. He had so much on his mind and he really didn't feel like dealing with Marian right now. "Robin where the hell have you been?" Marian asked him as he entered the small bedroom. She waited but she didn't get an answer. "Robin!"
"What Marian!" Robin snapped. He had just been blackmailed into never even seeing his son he only just found out he had and here she was harassing him. He was stressed out beyond relief.
"What the hell is going on with you? Ever since we got here you've been acting like an ass!" Marian yelled.
"Well excuse me, but I have some things going on right now." Robin said, shrugging off his coat.
"Oh really? And I don't?" Marian asked rhetorically, motioning to her stomach. Robin felt like he had just been punched in the gut. One day ago he was praying he wouldn't have to be a father to one child and now here he was going to be a father to two.
"I can't deal with this." Robin shook his head as he bolted back out the door.
"Where are you going?!" Marian screamed. "Robin!"
