I apologize in advance for the shortness of this...I'll promise and try to make it up to you in the next chapter with a long one!

Don't forget to review and ask me questions or anything about the story on my tumblr! ( ask [without spaces])

Thank you!

G.

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Regina agreed (for the first time in months) to let Henry sleep over at Emma's tonight. He didn't want to sleep here with his bed packed away, and he wouldn't sleep anywhere else. Consequently, Emma offered to take him for the night (and probably feed him candy or something else that Regina would disapprove of) and he ate it up quicker than she'd ever expected. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or hurt.

But, at least, the rule of no men was overrode since Henry wasn't here, and she got to fall asleep in his arms again for the second time in a week. She could really get used to that.

But right now, the alarm is going off and it's already 6:30 AM. Her eyes slowly, slowly open and the light floods in. Because she's on the second floor, she felt it was okay to go ahead and take the curtains down in her bedroom last night – a decision that she now regrets as she's practically blinded by the burning sunlight. She groans, shifting in his arms a little as she turns to her back. "Babe?" She whispers, bringing her arm to shake him awake gently, "It's time to get up." and thinks about last night.

Last night was lovely. It wasn't the amazing sex they had that made it overly wonderful, it was just the fact that they got to sleep together in her bed for the first time. She closes her eyes as she can feel his skin against hers like last night; warm and soft, the hair of his chest gently scraping against her breasts. She wishes she could just lay here with him forever, but her job says otherwise.

He mumbles something she can't hear at all as she moves again, her naked legs stuck together from their endeavor. They needed showers before school, because she can still smell the scent of ecstasy and sweat on the both of them. She shakes him again, this time he groans, mmmm...rrrggg...guhh. She's not really sure what that means, but she wonders if he's always this hard to wake up and how he ever makes it to work on time. She hisses at him again, this time growing more impatient in her tone.

"You need to get up, it's already 6:35 and we both have to get showers." She whispers, sitting up in the bed and holding the covers over her naked form. She feels his hand under her, moving from the pillow where it had been above her head, down to her ass. He brushes against it, mmmpphhh. Eyes rolling, she finally just shoves him. "Robin!" She warns, "Get up, before you brush my ass again."

"But it's such a wonderful, beautiful, touchable and brushable ass..." He whispers, and that's when she can tell he's still half asleep.

Nonetheless, it makes her smile and bite her lip. "We can shower together...you know...save water and all that important stuff..." She whispers enticingly, hoping to bribe him out of bed since nothing else seems to be working.

Upon those words, he finally perks up. Almost immediately sitting up in the bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, stretching his arms over his head with the blankets pooled in his lap and covering his goods, mumbling, "I'm up...I'm up." as he rubs her knuckles across his eyelids.

She laughs, whispering, "You're so bad..." and shaking her head.

He smirks, his hands still rubbing at his eyes tiredly, but let's out another mmm. "You know you love it, though, Regina." He counters, moving over to lean on her and run his fingers through her hair.

Before he can, though, she rolls her eyes and moves (making him fall, and giving her a good 6:40 AM laugh), "I do, but not in the morning when I'm trying to drag me and you out of bed. Chop chop, let's go." She orders, pushing him over playfully and rolling herself out of the bed onto her feet.

She looks back at him, seeing him still lying down on the bed and she laughs, shaking her head. "Come on, handsome, I'm feeling awfully tired and I think I need someone to bathe me." She coos, watching him get up and stalk to her sleepily, stumbling once over their clothes from last night. She lets out a laugh as she feels his strong arms wrap around her waist, his morning erection against her ass.

He kisses her neck lovingly, she notices that, and coos back, "I love you, Regina Mills."

She looks back over her shoulder and smirks, "I love you too, Mr. Locksley." She says as she pulls them into the bathroom, turning the water on and letting it warm up before stepping in. She immediately starts to rinse like she always does, but a firm hand stops her.

"Let me take care of you, lovely." He whispers, his body towering over hers slightly. At least that's the way she feels sometimes, like he can shrink her into nothing. In a good way, not an uncared for way.

She smiles, that little twinkle shining in her eye, whispering, "Okay." while keeping that awed expression.

He nods and grins at her, taking the shower head off of the holder and rinsing her hair, rubbing his fingers through what felt like, to Regina, each strand of hair. Reaching for the shampoo, Regina takes the moment to realize yet again how muscular he really is. His pectoral muscles flinch and twitch as he moves, even. She wonders if that's from football or from his previous gym time. She isn't sure, but she isn't about to interrupt the amazing shampoo massage he's giving her. His fingers actually, amazingly, dig into her scalp and make her shudder. Now she's wondering where he learned to massage so beautifully, but again, doesn't interrupt.

She starts feeling a little guilty, her getting all the pampering and him getting nothing. As she reaches for the shampoo, he takes her wrist gently and shakes his head, looking in her eyes. "I like to watch you, Regina." He whispers, "I love seeing the way you are during sex, and I love seeing your face and body this relaxed every chance I get. You deserve it, it's been a stressful week."

And that it has. They've almost packed everything up in less than three days, but the emotional stress is what is making her exhausted. She's seen every picture of Daniel she has and every baby picture of Henry she's ever taken. She's cried and felt Robin's arms around her as her safety net like usual. She never gets emotional, but to bring up the past was a touchy subject and to see memories of the past was even worse. She nods, answering, "I suppose it has been." before taking her arm away from his grasp slowly, letting him finish his wonderful head massage.

She can't help but be slightly embarrassed over the way her body falls into his a little after rinsing her hair, just completely in awe of what he's doing for her. He chuckles a bit and takes the soap, pouring some in his bare hand. He rubs it together onto both hands and starts at her shoulders, rubbing and lathering her ivory skin and making his way down her arms. He rubs each arm, giving the same loving attention to each one. Sliding to her breasts, she has to bite her lip to not moan. Again, embarrassing how she can't hardly control her sexual feelings toward this...this wonderful man.

His smirk is unbearably cute, though, as he notices her moan, "Unless you want to be very late to work, I suggest we better not make the beautiful sex noises or I won't be able to control my desire for you, lovely." He murmurs, making her bite her lip.

Chuckling, she answers, "I'll try not to..." and reaches up to kiss him lovingly.

He smirks and slides his hands down her body more, over the curves of her hips and down her thighs. Biting his lip, his eyes drift down her body and stops where his hands are, "Open up, lovely." He whispers, and she does as he requests. His hand slides gently on her sex and rubs, lathering the soap there. Her eyes close and her forehead rests on his shoulder. She knows she isn't supposed to get this turned on by this, but she is. But he stops. Why is he stopping? "Regina?" He questions.

She doesn't move from him, rather hums, "Mm?" and waits for his answer there.

"I..ah..." He stutters, looking down to his hand. She opens her eyes slowly, not paying much attention to what he was talking about from being too relaxed. "Look." He finally asks.

She looks at his hand between their bodies, keeping her forehead on his shoulder. "Oh gosh! Oh my gosh, Robin." She hisses, standing up straight. She quickly rinses off and turns the water off, looking at him. "I am so...so sorry." She apologizes, the blood on his hand still showing up in her mind. Her face is red with embarrassment as she steps out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her body. "I should've known, I'm sorry, Robin." She apologizes again.

He steps out with her and grabs the other towel, drying off and replying, "Don't worry, lovely...it happens..." and biting the inside of his cheek. She can tell he's trying to stay cool and collected about it, but she knows how awkward he has to feel too.

She shakes her head and sighs, "Thank you, Mother Nature, for coming at such a perfect time to freak my boyfriend out." She mumbles, drying off and walking out.

..

…

She hears him on the phone as she comes back to the teacher's lounge from the restroom, scrunching her face while hearing him yell. She stands back, not intentionally (at first) listening in on his conversation...but it happens. She still feels awkward about today, also, and doesn't really want to go in just yet. Horrible is more of an accurate word for how she feels, she was completely mortified this morning and so was he.

"Look- no...no." He says, she sees him shake his head and keep his free hand balled up in a fist on the table. "No! That's not it at all. Fra- Frank, please just listen to me. Please." He begs.

She furrows her brows, wondering what he's talking about now. Wondering if she should walk in at this time? Wondering if she should back away and go into the bathroom again so she won't be prying. But no, she stands there and completely ignores her own thoughts while listening to his words, like, he's safe with me and you can trust me. She doesn't know a Frank, so she pries in some more.

"Frank, please. I miss him so much and he does have friends here." He states, still using his harsh tone that Regina hasn't heard often. Frank must be talking, now, because Robin doesn't say anything until she sees his fingers tighten up a few moments later. "He's my son, I deserve to see him every once in a while. He needs one parent in his life and-" there he was, cut off again.

Regina doesn't know "Frank", but "Frank" must be a real jerk. She walks in further, now, realizing this was about Roland. She sits in the chair in front of him, folding her hands in her lap as she sees his face get redder and redder with anger.

Shaking his head, eyes tearing up, "I haven't seen him in two weeks. I miss him, his friends miss him. He has a little boy that he plays with here, he's ten and his name is Henry. They get along so great, do you really want to take that away from him? His mother first, then his father, then his friend?"

She sighs, knowing how badly it was hurting him to have to yell like this, just seeing the strain in his cheeks and under his eyes as he tries not to cry. She decides that now is a good time to reach her hand out, laying her palm over his balled up hand. She feels it relax, and she smiles softly, reassuringly for him. She just wants to let him know she's here, right here.

But that all goes down the drain when it tightens again, "You can't tell me I'm not his father. If you would let me see him – damn it no! Let me finish, please! For once!" He yells, actually enough to make Regina startle slightly. "He is my son. There's no doubt, the DNA test was done and he is most certainly mine." He says. Regina huffs, wondering why they even had to do a test. She sees Robin in Roland's eyes every time she gets to see those adorable little ones. And the dimples, that grin...she doesn't know what his mother looks like but she knows his father's in him.

She swallows thickly and holds the top of his hand still, trying to silently calm him down as he continues, "If you would just let me have more time with him, he loves it here and loves the city, loves my friends and his. I've turned my whole life around for one purpose: him. And now after all of this I don't ever get to see him. That isn't right, Frank, and you know it. I never got a chance to be with him except weekends, which is all I barely get now, too."

Another long pause. Regina's heart pounds hard, feeling as though it was outside of her chest as well. She makes herself calm down by rubbing her other hand over the one that's holding his, halfway rubbing his fist too. She doesn't know exactly how bad Robin must have been four years ago, but she's gathering it was pretty bad if he's having this much trouble getting his son back.

"Please, one week is all I ask. And he can have some fun here and I can finally get some time in with my boy, that's all I've desired, Frank. That's all I've wanted."

She smiles and nods to him, pressing her lips together and giving him a soft expression. It's then that she really knows undoubtedly he loves his son. Just like she loves Henry – it wasn't in the best circumstances for either parent to have a child, but they did and they're such great joys in both of their lives.

She's so lost in her thoughts, she doesn't realize he's hanging up by saying, Okay, Sunday and throwing in a thank you. She gives a little smile again at him, "I take it that was Roland's grandfather?" She asks cautiously, seeing he was still a little upset and actually – fuming.

Filling his lungs with a deep breath, he nods and cocks his jaw to the side, snapping, "He still says I'm an unfit parent. After all I've done!"

She sees his anger is more than she's even estimated. Baffled, she sits there quietly with her hands in her lap and looks down at them. Minutes pass and their food is getting cold, "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks, not sure whether she should have just done that or not, but she took the chance.

Another moment. Great, she shouldn't have asked.

"I just want everything for the kid." He finally answers, making Regina look up with soft eyes.

She nods, urging, "Go on." and leaning forward on the table. While waiting for his answer, she concentrates on keeping her expression soft and kind, caring and compassionate. Something she wasn't always the greatest at.

After another moment, he replies, "I know I screwed up that night. It was my fault she got pregnant, but I tried changing for him after I saw what it was like being a father. Me and Marian...Marian and I," He corrects himself, knowing Regina would've otherwise, "We were doing okay the first year. And he was just really a happy boy. But of course, me being an idiot, I screwed up again and kept getting drunk." He explains.

Regina feels a ping of hurt in her heart. Is it jealousy? Possibly. Every time he even brought her name up, it shot a pain through her. She knows it shouldn't be like this, she shouldn't feel jealous over someone who is dead, but she does and she doesn't know how to stop it just yet. There's also a small part of her mind screaming at herself for falling in love with a drunk. She knows the saying, once a drunk always a drunk. It scares her that one day, he may become that person again.

He continues after a bite of his food. She knows he's mad and unfocused, seeing him do what he did before he came to know her: chew while talking. She lets it slide just this one time. "And I mean, it was my fault. Yeah. But since when are there no second chances? Since when...since when is it that when one makes a mistake it's never forgiven?! I just don't understand...I love him and everything I try to do to get him...it just fails. Like this, I moved everything from back home. I changed my life around, I've been sober for two years now. I drink responsibly here and there, I enjoy a whiskey or two, but I never become a sloppy drunk anymore. He just doesn't understand how much I've tried to change for my boy." He breathes, shaking his head as he buries his face down into his hands.

She sighs, never having realized how painful all of this was for him. She should've, she knows that, because she knows how hard it would be for her if she was in the same situation. She wouldn't be able to bear it. She would become a drunk if someone took Henry away from her, she's sure of it. Her hand slides under her chair and she scoots over toward him. Laying a gentle hand on his back, rubbing between his shoulder blades, she tries comforting him, "I understand, Robin." She whispers, "It isn't fair at all. Have you tried going to court for him?"

He nods, "Each time I do, I lose simply because he has a better lawyer than I can afford."

"Oh." She replies, looking down. Her hand is making soothing circles on his shirt, "Where did you used to live?"

"After London?" He asks, she nods, "I moved to Ybor City in Florida. Complete party central for someone like me." He explains, "That's where his grandparents live. We have to meet in the middle every time I get him."

"Wow, how long of a drive?" She asks, accidentally getting off subject.

"Three hours for the both of us." He states. "We meet at the state line."

She nods and continues her rub, "Oh..." She whispers, lost in her thoughts. "Has he ever seen how much you've changed? Has he ever...talked to anyone you know?"

"Like who?" He asks, "You? The only person I really know around here?"

She purses her lips and frowns, "You need friends."

"Tell me about it."

Sighing, she licks her lips and looks at him, saying, "If you want someone to talk to him, I'm here. Just to give him an update, Robin. You need your son and as great as his grandparents may be to him, they can't replace his father. They can't...they can't share that bond between throwing the football and having your dad catch it, or..." She pauses as she realizes she's talking about Daniel and Henry. No one can really take that over, but someone has to try. "Or have his dad yell at him to not run into the garbage can on his first driving lesson. Robin, this is too important to let go. You have to fight for it."

"Do you think I'm not fighting?" He asks defensively, looking at her with a hurt expression.

Shaking her head, she answers, "No." and clears her throat, "I'm just saying you need to get someone to help that can offer it – and that person is currently me." She says, volunteering herself without even thinking. Suddenly, she considers what she's saying. What if he really isn't a nice guy? The kind that yells at people for no reason, or just for trying to help someone they care about? She's nervous, now, but knows that she can't back out after she's told him she will.

"I can't have you do that." are his next words. She shakes her head but he stops her before she can say anything, "He's a jerk, Regina. He'd be a jerk to you too. I don't want him talking to you like that."

Huffing, she shakes her head, "I'm not ten, Robin. I can handle myself like a grown-up."

"But you're my girlfriend, Regina. You're the woman I'm sleeping with while my son is at his grandparent's – his dead mother's parents. Someone like him who is so pigheaded won't realize you're trying to help me, and not just help yourself into my bed."

"Well I'm going to talk to him, Robin." She says, already reaching for his phone.

"No...let's just drop it." He urges, taking his phone from her hands.

She furrows her brows, slightly shocked at his bluntness toward her about this. She just wants to help. She knows he's upset, he's so off. He'd never just grab the phone from her like that, never cut her off unless he's completely upset (like now), and most importantly (to Regina) he would never chew while talking. It's a fact of life, now.

That's why she let's him drop it. Why she drops it. Why she let's him have the phone back without a fight, why she continues her back rub on him, and why she stays silent for a few minutes. Curiosity keeps tapping at her brain, though, and she can't get rid of it. "Marian – what...happened to her?"

He seems taken aback by her sudden question. Eyes are wide and fixated on her, almost as if he's trying to decide if she's being sincere or just prying. "You mean how did she die?" He asks, sitting up a little straighter and stretching his legs out.

She nods, "Yes."

He tilts his head to the side, cracking his neck and replying, "I put her in harm's way."

Harm's way? What is he talking about? She hates how he's so un-detailed sometimes, just wishes he would spit it all out. "How?" She presses further.

She sees his slight irritation starting to go away, and she's happy for that. He puts off this odd aura and it makes the whole room gloomy when he's upset. Another deep breath and he replies, "We were walking home from the jail – where I had just gotten caught for being drunk and causing trouble – and this car came out of nowhere. It hit her going sixty-miles an hour. She was dead on the spot."

"Oh my gosh, Robin." Regina gasps, becoming a little louder. "I didn't...I had no idea. I'm sorry..."

He shakes his head, "That's why Frank hates drunks so much. Why he blames me for everything. Why he took Roland away...all of it. The driver was drunk, of course, and so was I when I got put in jail. Every stupid thing in my life originated from alcohol."

"Hey – no." She stops him, "Roland is a gift whether he was planned or not. He's such a little blessing to everyone, is he not?" She asks, and he nods guiltily. "Exactly. So not everything was totally bad."

Sighing, he nods and pushing his half-empty plate away. Another clue she to how she knows he's really upset. "Yeah, he is a gift. A gift that has to stay wrapped under the Christmas tree until certain days."

She shakes her head, "I hate being optimistic too, Robin, but you really have to start with this. You're not helping yourself any, you're hurting yourself a lot by not letting me talk to him. We're just going in circles and going and going, but this is something important and that's the only way he's ever going to trust you in the slightest."

The stubbornness is showing in the both of them, and now whoever will win will only win because they're more stubborn than the other. She waits for him to reply, but he never does. She simply scoots her chair back to her side and eats her lunch silently, peeping up at him every once in a while to see him still pouting. Or he would probably call it in thought, but to her it's pouting.

More silence passes before he decides to just get up, wrapping his plate up and sticking it in the refrigerator. She sighs, seeing his still-evident anger. "Are you coming to the apartment tonight?" She asks.

He nods as he leaves the room, "Yep, love you." He says simply, still angry even with her.

She growls and slams backward in her seat, crossing her arms over her stomach angrily. All she wants his to help him, and he just won't let her in. She's decided, now, who is more stubborn in this relationship – and it definitely isn't her.

..

…

Without Henry again tonight, the apartment seems somewhat quiet and almost dull. The awkwardness of this morning and the anger from lunch was looming around the couple the whole night, both of them staying at separate ends of the apartment to finish up the last pieces of the boxes. But they joined each other in bed again, and Robin decides to finally break the ice (and his little temper tantrum).

Holding her in his arms, body pressed against hers, he looks in her eyes and whispers, "I'm sorry for being an ass today." while rubbing his fingers through her hair.

She presses her lips together and shrugs, "I'm sorry for getting my period today." She mumbles, halfway audible for him to actually hear.

A long, awkward silence passes again before Robin speaks up, "Why did you get it?" He asks, "I mean, that's good...but forgive me since I don't know much about the female...system." He states, brushing his tongue over his lips.

She clears her throat, beginning to explain that even with the birth control, it's irregular and light but it still happens. Her breasts still ache and she still gets the cramps. As he's nodding, she wonders if he's actually letting any of it sink in. "Get it now?"

"Mm," He mumbles, "Does it feel better, to you, when I rub them, then?" He asks, being a little bit oblivious to what he wants to rub, but Regina finally catches on as she looks down to her bra.

"Oh..." She breathes, "I- Yes...it does. But Robin you don't have to, you did plenty for me today before all of that happened. Besides, I just want to go to sleep tonight. Okay?" She replies in a whispering voice, not wanting to say no but she knows she needs to decline.

He nods, kissing her lovingly, replying, "Okay." before kissing her again, but this time with much more passion than the last.

To Regina, it seems as though she's actually ready to move on from this apartment for the first time since the beginning of this whole fiasco of a move. She feels she's ready to let go and start over, start new and fresh. And it just so happens to be with this hunk. She just hopes it goes by quickly so she go ahead and start over, get the band-aid peeled back quickly and let Robin take care of her "wound".

And it does, Friday comes and goes faster than she thought it would, and they even slept on the floor in her bedroom. The apartment is completely empty, and there's really no point to sleep there tonight, but she wants to sleep with him one last time in here...and he agrees.

..

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