Interlude II

More shameless fluff.

It was strange getting everything back to normal. Or as normal as it could be for Regina to have Robin and Roland in her life. Not quite as awesome either because Robin had insisted on reverting back to "gentleman," rather than "scoundrel."

The stereotypical male-female role-reversal amused her.

Sometimes.

New Year's Day was particularly different when, as Robin and Roland were heading out to Mass, Henry tagged along. So Regina found herself in the convent parking lot watching Henry, Roland, and just about every kid in Storybrooke running around like wild people. Robin apparently was still inside saving the world, so Regina waited outside her car, as a Cadillac pulled up.

The Cadillac.

Of course. Belle would be a part of the goodie-goodies. How all this worked out with fairies, magic, nuns, sisters, priests, friars, and Middle Ages Storybrooke was beyond her and the last thing she cared to learn about.

Except it was important to the man she loved.

Rumpelstiltskin was apparently in the same boat as she.

Hard to be dating freaking saints.

If dating could be used to describe their relationships.

Rumplestiltskin rolled a cigarette and held it out to her.

Regina saw Tinkerbell flitting over.

She took it.

"So! Working out it seems?" Tink asked, bubbling over with enthusiasm.

Regina didn't even bother, "Yes."

Tink smiled so brightly Regina had to take a long drag.

"Though I will say," Tink admitted, "I don't think I'm into this 'sister' thing. It's very odd."

"Well, you missed out on all the 'We are Both' fun," Regina told her drily.

"I guess," she shrugged. "I'll always be a bit rogue."

"And there's nothing wrong with that." Part of the reason Regina liked her. "Do you know what's taking Robin so long?"

"Oh, he was confessing."

Confessing? What the hell did he have to confess?

Tink went on, "And then he stopped to talk to the priest about arranging some Sarum liturgy."

Regina didn't even want to know.

"He'll be out soon," Tink assured her.

The kids were all now bouncing around like ping-pong balls.

"I'd better call the kids over," Regina said.

"Going somewhere?" Tink asked.

"Laying some flowers."

"Ah." Tink sprouted her wings, "Well, keep me updated!"

Regina tried to smile as the fairy flew away, but it came like a grimace.

She would not look at Rumplestiltskin. That of course didn't deter him from musing aloud about the "irony" of her being with the most selfless man in the Enchanted Forest.

"You're one to talk," Regina sniped, "being with a girl named 'Belle.'"

He didn't answer, just crushed out his cigarette as his little fashion plate came over, "Later, dearie."

"I'm not your dearie," Regina muttered under her breath.

Finally Robin came out, and gave her a brief kiss, unaware, or more likely deliberately aware, that everyone was watching. Always sure to make it clear that they were together and he didn't care.

"Ready?" Regina asked, ignoring the stares.

It had become something of a tradition to go to lay flowers at the cemetery. Daniel included. The first time she took Robin was the hardest, but he insisted. Their relationship was after all bound within recovery from their lost loves, as the ring around her neck so pointedly reminded her.

Then when dinner that night ended, Roland randomly asked, "Mommy, am I going to school too?"

Both Regina and Robin froze.

The evening had just become interesting.

"Well…." Regina stammered.

"Not yet, Roland," Robin answered him.

As the little boy ran to the back for more romping like a wind-up toy on the play-ground set, Robin said, "He probably heard it from the kids."

"School?"

"No."

No. Of course not. That would be easy.

They walked out to watch Roland play, silently sitting, and holding hands for quite a while. Regina wished he'd say something. She sure wouldn't.

Finally, he put her out of her misery. "He probably does see you as a mother. He has no memory of Marian."

Regina burst out, "I didn't…"

"I know." He took the hand he'd been holding and kissed it.

"But he did have a point about school."

"School?"

"Yes. Where kids learn."

"He's four," Robin said simply.

"They have pre-school," Regina let him know.

"A boy of that age needs to be at home, with his moth…." He stopped himself. The hole just kept getting deeper. "At home, being a child. Too soon to confine him as a scholar."

"It's not like that here."

"A young boy belongs at home."

Regina opened her mouth.

"He's my son."

Really awkward now.

"Yes, he is," Regina said softly.

And the conversation ended. But then Roland just had to call her "mommy" again when she kissed him goodnight.

Regina was getting so stiff from this day she'd need a chiropractor.

It wasn't helping that while things were nearly perfect, the one thing that stood between her and Robin like an ogre on steroids was that she hadn't said she'd marry him yet. And Roland had unwittingly thrown it in both their faces.

What would they be to each other?

Was this something they needed to talk about?

Gods she hoped not.

She hated "talking."

"Regina..."

Damn. Talking.

She held her breath, exhaled, then dived in, "Would this be unwelcome if I married you?"

"No."

No. So the question was why didn't she? Regina knew she could never be without him. When they were separated, she had been miserable, like a half of her soul had been missing.

"Is it the church wedding?" Robin asked.

"Maybe," she mumbled. "It means something different when you do that, doesn't it."

"No different than in the Enchanted Forest."

"But I'm of this world now."

And so it silently went on. For about five more minutes.

"I want you to be his mother."

He'd said it.

Fantastic. What to answer? Except that she wanted it too.

And he was just looking at her.

Did she want to marry him?

She looked back.

Oh, hell yes.

Well, the Church here required a waiting period.

"A long engagement?" Regina ventured.

And Robin looked so relieved! But of course, Mr. Selfless had to say even now, "I don't want to pressure you. If you really don't want to."

"I do want to," Regina insisted.

She didn't know how much until she'd said it.

Happiness, being at peace, was so fleeting in their lives, no matter what worlds they lived in. And as cliché as it sounded, she couldn't live without him.

Wouldn't hurt that they would be lovers again.

Wouldn't hurt at all.

And Roland would go to school. She'd win that one.

But now Robin was hugging her and he whispered, "A long engagement then, beloved."

Regina nodded. Yes, he was ridiculously perfect, and good-looking, and…

And she loved him.

"Yes."